One of Heifer International's Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, the organisation's guiding principles, is Improved Animal Management. There are many reasons we care about animal management but the most important are to do with the health and well-being of the animals and the people.
The small farmers who partner with Heifer International South Africa (Heifer) know that productive, healthy animals produce more of the milk, eggs, meat and other products than they can sell to make money. They know that it's in the farmers' best interests to look after their animals and keep them safe. That's why they take such good care of their livestock. Some families even think of their animals as members of the family. Charmaine Rakgalakane told us how she feels about her family's cow, "Beehive gives me milk and now I love Kellogg's." Charmaine is 9 years old and she helps her mother look after their cow every morning before school - and enjoys the milk she gets in her cereal.
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Member of Siyazama Project in Eastern Cape with her goat
Caring for animals, making sure that they're healthy and productive is a big part of what farmers do and an important prerequisite for building a successful farming business. Through training, site visits and on-going technical support, Heifer International South Africa is helping thousands of farmers to care for their animals better, so that they can improve the lives of the animals and also of their families and communities.
Small farmers in Heifer's projects don't need to make New Year's resolutions about taking better care of their animals - it's the most important part of what they do every day. But you can make a resolution to help them do even better by supporting Heifer International South Africa in 2012.
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