Juliet Maganadisa had a problem. Her children relied on her. She was their mother. It was her job to give them a healthy, happy childhood and provide for their basic needs. But Mrs Maganadisa had no food. Not even maize to make a simple porridge. Her children suffered from malnutrition. They dropped out of school early because their mother was unable to pay for school uniforms or books and they needed to seek work to help the family survive.
Juliet Magandisa's life changed when another woman in her community gave her a dairy cow after she joined Heifer International South Africa's Hereford Project near Groblersdal in Limpopo Province. "When I received a cow through Passing on the Gift® it was like a dream come true because I never thought I could own livestock like a cow in my life, but God has done miracles to my family," said Juliet. She had never owned anything much and now she had been given an animal worth thousands of Rands. She now had the opportunity to care for this animal, to use the milk for her family and to help others, to grow vegetables with the manure and to sell milk and vegetables to make a living. She was given the start of her own small farming business. And the person who had given it to her was another member of her own community, a woman who, just a few years earlier, had faced the same poverty, hunger and malnutrition as Juliet.
Juliet Magandisa
Juliet received a gift through Heifer International South Africa's Passing on the Gift® process. Heifer International South Africa (Heifer) is a community development organisation that partners with poor rural communities to end poverty and hunger in South Africa and care for the Earth. By providing training, support, livestock, seeds and tree saplings, Heifer helps poor rural women and men become successful small farmers. As part of Heifer's model, each person who receives livestock passes on the same opportunity to another family in their community.
The 33 women farmers of Hereford Project have made a huge success of their small farming businesses. They now produce vegetables for the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, as well as local supermarkets and informal community markets. In 2010, several of the women were also producing vegetables for export to Europe.
 with Mrs Eva Mbuyani mg.JPG)
Ms Terry Rakgalakane (left) with Mrs Eva Mbuyani - Hereford project members during Passing on the Gift® ceremony
"Being a widow did not stop me from being involved in agriculture. Currently, I have two acres of maize, one acre of green beans, two acres of patty pans, one acre of cabbage, and pumpkins. I also plant lucerne and napier grass for the cows. Additionally, on some of my land, I have planted vegetables such as beetroots, spinach, onions, sweet potatoes and green peppers. I'm also one of the farmers who is exporting vegetables to France. I have earned R3 100.00 for exporting vegetables such as patty pans and green beans in November 2010," said Juliet.
With the money she earns from farming, Juliet Maganadisa is able to provide her children with a brighter future, with food, shelter and education and even with luxuries like presents at Christmas. This holiday season, thousands of previously impoverished South African families like the Maganadisas will exchange gifts and celebrate a good year thanks to the generous donors who support the work of Heifer International South Africa. This year, why not celebrate the season of giving by donating to Heifer so even more families have the same chance next Christmas?
