No, this article is not about dinner. It's about sharing. And, no, I haven't turned into a leftist-liberal-commie-pinko. I simply want you to consider sharing some of what you have.
Our form of sharing was to donate one or two wethers from each crop to a local youth ag program. One lesson we learned? Be careful! Make sure the wether goes directly to one of the youth, not to the ag teacher who then sells it to one of his students. We eventually worked out a free raffle for the youngsters.
OK... how can you get into the spirit of "goat sharing" if your pool of possible local goat recipients all have rich parents and/or are members of families that raise goats?
Here's a few ideas.
"If there is one thing I could give to the struggling people of the world it would be self-reliance. Everyone deserves the dignity of providing for themselves and their families." — Walter Cronkite
"With all the money donated to help fight famine around the world, with all the grandiose plans conceived to conquer poverty, sometimes all it takes to save a child is a goat." — 60 Minutes, CBS News Magazine Program
The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.
Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens.
And because goats often have two or three kids a year, Heifer partners can lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education.
www.Heifer.org
The Food For The Poor gift catalog is filled with page after page of heartfelt gift ideas...
Every item in the catalog will benefit poor children and their families in the Caribbean or Latin America. A single goat can provide enough milk and cheese to help feed a hungry family for a lifetime.
www.foodforthepoor.org.
Giving something of value to a person in need can be very gratifying. It is an especially meaningful act, however, for someone who rarely, if ever, has anything to give. This opportunity is being given to hundreds of economically disadvantaged women through Mahasemam’s Passing on the Goat Programme.
The program involves the provision of goats to Mahasemam members via a lottery system. Women who are selected to receive donated goats must agree to “Pass on” a second-generation goat kid to another member of the community. This recipient must also agree to pass on a goat kid, creating a self-sustaining program and giving each woman the opportunity to uplift a struggling neighbour.
The donation of a goat can literally bring a disadvantaged woman or family out of poverty. Goats are bred for their milk, dung, skin and meat, products which can be used for household needs or sold in the local market. Goats are easy to care for, are well-suited to the local environment, and reproduce quickly, making them an excellent livestock choice for this population.
www.mahasemam.org.
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