Page 2 - The Daily Builder - Day 07
P. 2

our fundraisEr photo


                                                                                                                                    The photograph we’re using for this year’s fundraiser, you know the one:































             Twenty-two percent of Peru’s population live in rural areas. The World Bank reports that 19 percent of its land
             area is used for agricultural purposes and about 26 percent of its total population rely on agriculture.                 There’s a story about it. Not a real  Evelyn a bit later in the fundraiser).  throwing poses right out of classical
                                                                                                                                    deep story, but we love this photo so  As we walked around the corner of  anime.
          opEn for businEss in pEru                                                                                                 much we wanted to talk about it, just  the tearoom building, the crowd of   We decided that one of the photos

                                                                                                                                    in case you like it as much as we do.
                                                                                                                                                                        children who had been following us  was the perfect embodiment of
          By Heifer International             Project works in 22 indigenous,  flourished in Peru over the last                       This  past summer, Maria and  to see what we were doing  started  why we support Heifer—not just to
                                              small- farming communities to  century, alpaca farmers turned                         Brett  traveled  to  Malawi  to  join  back (Brett is actually kind of tall).  help  people  pull  themselves out  of
            In the Andean highlands of Peru,  reduce vulnerability to climate  their focus away from the natural                    Heifer’s Director of Philanthropy     We  said hi (actually, we said  poverty, or to give them that chance
          13,000 feet above sea level, very  change and food insecurity of  variability of alpaca colors to                         Jackie Finch and a few members  “how are you,” which in Chichewa  to improve their lives, but to help
          little  can grow. The  air is thin,  4,333 alpaca-raising families.    produce only white stock, which                    of Heifer Malawi. Every country  is “Muli  bwanji”)  and  Brett  went  them get to the point where they, their
          the water scarce, the earth rocky    Alpacas  are gentle not only to  is easier to dye. However, this                     Heifer International has programs in  for the high five. He was met with  families, and most importantly their
          and infertile. Against a backdrop  their human caretakers but also on  practice resulted in a gradual loss                has a local office staffed by Heifer  confused looks, so he told Maria  children can take the opportunity to
          of   glacier-capped    mountains, the land. They eat scrub vegetation  of biodiversity and richness of the                employees who grew up there, and  to high-five him. Their faces lit up.  simply be awesome.
          however,    indigenous   families other livestock won’t eat, and their  species.                                          since the Heifer Malawi team was  After that, it
          survived since ancient Incan times  padded feet don’t damage the         A  more recent shift in smaller,                 familiar with the area, the people, all  was a flurry
          by raising hearty alpacas. Climate  fragile terrain. Their droppings  local markets’ preference for                       the projects, and (importantly) the  of smiles and
          change, severe  deterioration of  help fertilize the topsoil, improving  natural  colors  of  wool  has led  to           language, they were our guides.     high   fives,
          water sources and pasture, low  crops and reducing erosion. The  a  resurgence  in breeding alpacas                         Our  second day, we were in and  and      they
          incomes, low market value of alpaca  exceptionally soft wool is collected  in a variety of hues, which are in             around Ngwangwa, meeting Sarah      were happy
          varieties and little diversity of food  without  injuring  the  animal,  turn genetically more resilient and              and Evelyn, having a traditional  to pose for
          in more recent times have made  providing Heifer families with  resistant to climate change.                              Malawian lunch, and meeting the  photos.
          life here even more tenuous. Heifer  fine material to make blankets,      Thanks to Heifer International for              amazing Chikondi Women’s Group.       The    boy
          International’s Alpaca Biodiversity  ponchos, hats and carpets.         letting us share this story and video.            We were in town to tour Evelyn’s  in blue was
          in High Andean Communities           As  the alpaca wool industry                                                         tearoom and bakery (you’ll meet  a       natural,



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