This Women’s Day we are celebrating the lives of ordinary women who are doing extraordinary things…
Give today to create the extraordinary…
Heifer International South Africa is working to empower rural women to address these imbalances. We provide livestock and skills so that rural women in South Africa can start their own business and earn an income.
We enable women to learn new skills and give them the tools they need to become leaders. Through our unique concept of passing on the gift, women share their skills and their animals’ offspring with needy neighbours, thus creating a cycle of giving and empowerment.
Mrs. Nguza lives in Matatiele KwaZulu Natal and is one of the beneficiaries of the Potlakang project. She courageously left her abusive husband when he burnt their house leaving her and her five small children totally destitute. With no food for the family, she asked her neighbour to please help her, and the neighbour asked her to pray. And pray she did. The very next day someone told her about Heifer International South Africa. Her prayers had been answered. Mrs. Nguza joined Heifer and received two goats and training in animal health management. Within a short time she had eight goats. Mrs. Nguza said, “I passed on the gift of two female goats to another family and I sold two goats for R850 each. I was able to send my children to school. I bought uniforms and paid schools fees. Once I was given these goats I was able to bring food to the table. My goats multiplied to 15. I sold four and I started to build a two bedroom house - it’s now nearly finished. I now have nine goats - two males and seven pregnant females. I am looking forward to selling some of them and extending my house to four bedrooms. More importantly, I can now feed and educate my children, giving them a brighter future.” And just imagine her joy when she was able to pass on the gift of a goat to a poor neighbour who, when she had absolutely nothing, gave her a little money and groceries.
This is just one story of a courageous woman who survived poverty and a brutal husband and now lives with pride and dignity. Help Heifer International South Africa to help the rural poor so that we can bring you more stories of hope and prosperity. We are working to give this generation of women, like Mrs. Nguza, and many generations to come a brighter future. No matter how large or small your donation, through our unique concept of passing on the gift, your support will grow and go a long way towards helping us to address the many imbalances which disadvantaged rural women face.
