$600,000: What’s better than a goat? More goats!

Now that we’ve raised over $600,000 for Heifer International, it’s time to fine tune the program. At this stage, the goal is to improve production for all the participants. They have the knowledge, improved habitats and farming techniques, and now the raw materials they need to realize their dreams, whether that means goats, chicks, robust seeds, or clean water. So the next step is to get the most out of the gifts they received from Heifer.

For a farmer, that means fine tuning their farming technique. For someone raising chickens, that means increasing egg yield and possibly selling off some eggs to expand their operation. Remember Farida Begum, the woman who often had to split a meal with her husband just to make sure her family had something to eat? For Farida, improving production means managing her goat herd.

Farida Begum at her goats. Photo by Heifer International.

Within the past year, Farida has sold six goats for an average price of $80 apiece. She currently has eight goats – two does and six kids. She vaccinates her livestock according to schedule. She feeds them grass from grazing land and adds home-made nutritional supplements regularly. “Goat sickness is no longer present in our house due to the improved shed, good feeding practices, and regular vaccination,” Farida says.

Managing her gifts so they literally grow allows her to raise money, provide easily digestible goat milk for her family and others, and make sure her goats stay healthy. They are valuable–in Bangladesh, having goats is like money in the bank. And Farida knows how to make the most of them to ensure that not only do they thrive, but so does her family.

Our fundraiser ends tomorrow at midnight Central time! Everything we raise will go right to Heifer International to help fund their Women Farmers project to help participants like Farida to be self-sufficient. Our next unlockable goal is $800,000, and at that point we’ll tell you how it helped Farida. We don’t mind spoiling the surprise a little and saying that maybe her youngest son had the chance to go to school…