Hunger: Heifer Project

Of all the NGO's dealing with hunger issues, Heifer International is my favorite. The premise is helping people to help each other, which, to paraphrase Terry Pratchett, few of us are talented enough to do.

Heifer works primarily by taking donations from rich people (us) and using them to buy animals for poor people. The animals are not simply given away; the receiving families must train to care for them, prepare a place and food for them, and promise to give the first offspring to another poor family in the program. Thus, we help them help them help them . . .

Some might class Heifer as a faith-based organization, and, indeed, it was begun as one. Now, however, it has moved away from its Christian roots. It is still a great organization doing powerful development work. In the field, however, its focus is becoming more and more development for the sake of warm fuzzies for liberals. Still, it has my firm endorsement for major NGO's ending hunger.

If you're looking for a gift for someone who has everything, buy them a llama. Or some bees. If nothing else, it's a conversation starter. You could tell somebody else about hunger issues! There are domestic as well as international programs, including a Katrina recovery program. There are programs to promote women, education, sustainable agriculture, even urban renewal. If you have time to explore issues in depth, there are camps in the US and international trips that look at what hunger is doing in the world and how Heifer (and you) can help.

In conclusion, Heifer is an example of an NGO that really works well to combat hunger. I advise checking out the website, requesting their magazine, and/or donating.