Page 2 - The Daily Builder - Day 10
P. 2

improve because milk has all the
                                                                                                                                    things my body needs,” said Siti.
                                                                                                                                    “I was always buying milk to make
                                                                                                                                    breakfast, but now I have my own.”
                                                                                                                                      Siti  has much more confidence
                                                                                                                                    and has become a better farmer
                                                                                                                                    thanks to Heifer. “I was not aware
                                                                                                                                    of animal husbandry, but now I
                                                                                                                                    know general animal husbandry,”
                                                                                                                                    she said. She owned just 8 animals
                                                                                                                                    in 2015: 2 Zebu bulls (that she used
                                                                                                                                    as draft power), 5 chickens, and 1
                                                                                                                                    goat. Now she owns 34 animals: 11
                                                                                                                                    Zebu, 7 goats, 15 chickens, and her
                                                                                                                                    dairy cow.
                                                                                                                                      “After  receiving the  knowledge
                                                                                                                                    from Heifer, I have noticed a lot of
                                                                                                                                    faults in the way we were farming
                                                                                                                                    and raising animals,” said Siti.
                                                                                                                                    “After having knowledge, we are
                                                                                                                                    able to treat our local cattle. Before
             Siti Mwampashe (26 yrs) holds her daughter Doreen Mashaka Mwashambwa (11 months) near the family’s cow in
             Lungwa village, Tanzania on April 29, 2017.                                                                            the project, my animals were dying
                                                                                                                                    from diseases because I didn’t
          Orphaned at 13                                                                                                            know how to treat or vaccinate

                                                                                                                                    them,” she said. Three goats, four
                                                                                                                                    Zebu, and more than 200 of her
          By Heifer International             number of small jobs that barely  was given 3 kilograms of Rhodes                     chickens had died because she
                                              gave them enough to scrape by.     grass seeds for fodder, and 7 bags                 lacked the knowledge of how to
            Siti  Mwampashe was orphaned       When  Siti heard about an  of cement, 12 roofing sheets, and                         care for them. Now, none of her
          at age 13, leaving she and her older  upcoming Heifer International  6 kilograms of nails to build a                      animals have died since Heifer         Siti Mwampashe (26 yrs) holds her daughter Doreen Mashaka
          brother responsible for their five  project, she knew this was her  cowshed.                                              trained her.                           Mwashambwa (11 months).
          younger siblings. “I was living in a  chance to change their lives for the   And  finally  in  October 2015,                In  addition to  her animals,  Siti  still a long way to go, Siti’s future  village to pull themselves out of
          hard condition,” said Siti. “We had  better.                           after years of dreaming about                      farms 10 acres of maize, beans,  has already grown brighter.            poverty.
          no source of help.” They continued   Heifer  began their trainings in  owning a cow and all the ways it                   groundnuts, coffee, and pasture.      Siti’s favorite aspect of the Heifer   “The   first  Cornerstone  is
          to work the family farm even  2015, and Siti went to as many  could improve her family’s lives,                           Much of this was used solely for  program  is Passing on the Gift.  the foundation of all the other
          without much knowledge of how  as she could, learning about  Siti received her heifer.                                    home consumption, but Siti hopes  When her dairy cow gives birth to  Cornerstones,” said Siti. “I received
          to farm, Siti often working after  Heifer’s   Cornerstones,   animal     “I was very very glad on the day                 that her crops can help bring even  a female offspring, she will pass  something through love and I must
          school - and she managed to stay in  husbandry, disease identification  I received my cow,” she said. “I                  more income to her family in the  this calf on to another family in  pass-on the same way.” She believes
          school for eleven years even while  and control, feeding and storage,  was happy because I could see that                 future.                             her community, so that they might  that if this method of providing
          helping to support her siblings.    feed formulation, and leadership.  my dream was coming true.”                           Siti  is full of grand plans like  get the same benfits Siti has found.  animals, training, and passing on
            Siti  eventually dropped out of  Siti was chosen to be one of the      Her  cow produces 6.5 liters of                  this: she wants to farm more, and  She loves to pass on the gift of  is multiplied, then many other poor
          school to marry, and had her son  first recipients of this program,  milk every day. Siti sells 4 liters,                 raise even more animals. She hopes  her knowledge as well: Siti was  families will be successful.
          Thobias, and daughter Doreen.  and Heifer gave her the supplies to  but keeps the other 2.5 liters for                    one day she can have as many as  trained as a community facilitator,
          They were still living hand-to- use all that she had learned during  home consumption. “When I                            eight dairy cows. Though there is  so that she could help others in her    Thanks to Heifer International for
          mouth, though, Siti working a  the animal husbandry training: she  drink milk, I know my health will                                                                                                       letting us share Siti’s story.



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