The Heifer International Model of Sustainable Adult Education

Background

Heifer International was founded by Dan West, a Midwestern farmer and Church of the Brethren relief worker during the Spanish Civil War. During his service, West was forced to decide who would receive rations and who would not—literally, who would live and who would die. He concluded, “these children don’t need a cup, they need a cow” (Our History, 2010). When West returned home, he formed Heifers for Relief, an organization that provided families with livestock and training so they “could be spared the indignity of depending on others to feed their children” (Our History, 2010). The first shipment of 17 heifers arrived in Puerto Rico in 1944; these animals provided nourishment to malnourished children who had never before tasted milk. West chose heifers because the young cows who had not yet given birth could be used for a source of milk and their offspring could be donated to another family in need. The organization, now known as Heifer International, has continued with the simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief.

Heifer International is devoted to eliminating hunger and poverty through sustainable development. Hunger and poverty occur worldwide because of a multitude of unfavorable economic and environmental conditions, and as a result, food and resources are scarce among many communities. The concept of sustainable development implies that, unless effective measures are taken to prevent deterioration of our communities (Mammino, 2011) and the larger world, it may be difficult for future generations to survive. The primary goal of Heifer International is to work with communities to become self-reliant and to end poverty and hunger around the world. The crux of Heifer's mission is working in partnership with community groups (T. Montgomery, personal communication, November 8, 2011), and since it began the organization has helped 15.5 million families in more than 125 countries move toward greater self-reliance (Heifer International, 2011). Honoring its core values, Heifer International is continually evolving into a stronger, more coherent and unified organization committed to providing a deep and profound sustainable impact though all of its programs and projects (Heifer International, 2011).