Friday, July 20, 2012

Heifer ..

As the heat index hovered around 107 degrees, I chose to spend a couple hours of an Arkansas afternoon with a Wisconsin friend, Diane, once director of Norskedalen, the Norwegian Heritage Farm where I volunteer up north. You see one of Diane's hats now is working as director of volunteers at the Heifer Ranch located northwest of Little Rock in Perryville.

These volunteers come from all over the world and within the first half an hour I had the opportunity to speak some Spanish, Chinese and almost German.

How cool is that considering the extreme heat?

My personal involvement with the non-profit Heifer International organization started way before I met Diane as my parents have long been contributors donating in my name monies for livestock to impoverished world communities to help in their sustainable development.

Heifer Ranch allows participants to walk in someone else's shoes focusing on hunger and poverty, and yes sustainable development through an educational experiential program called Global Gateway in the Global Village which occupies 5 of the 1500 acres on the ranch.

One can participate in a tour/multi overnights up to a week stay. There are many possible accommodations such as the open air 60 bunk bed Heifer Hilton or lodges and a capacity of housing up to 500 along with a cafeteria with foods made from the CSA gardens and livestock on the ranch.

Global Gateway participants are given tours of the premises of their home for that evening which include structures that one would find in Appalachia,a refugee camp, Guatemala, Thailand and Zambia.

At each of these sites information is given about the living conditions in these particular places.
Discussions are held of perceptions of poverty after which families are formed by random assignations to the different sleeping quarters along with limited supplies/resources.
Now living the perceptions are a different reality as no one will have everything needed for that night. Some might have all the water but might not have wood/matches and the refugees will have nothing not even language.
Resources will have to be bartered between groups/? Communication skills become paramount,negotiating for those needed resources. Cooperation has to occur in order to make a fire and a meal. And of course there is conflict resolution. The next day there will be a meager meal and chores.
Animals to be fed. There are the typical farm animals such goats,chickens,rabbits, and ducks and even a water buffalo and 2 camels. Wood needs to be chopped, bricks to be made, water to be obtained from a cistern/ trundle pump. Interactive activities of world food supply/population distribution becomes real using a world map on the floor of the commons.
Walking in someone else's shoes gives insight to poverty knowing that one can return to warm homes and full refrigerators but the poor do not have these luxuries. Each person can be part of the solution to world hunger and poverty.

What can you do to help? Visit http://www.heifer.org/visit/heifer-ranch





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  1. DianeJuly 23, 2012 at 8:54 PM

    We did have a great visit, didn't we Karen? So much fun to see you again and for someone who didn't take any notes - you have an amazing memory for all that we talked about. You sound as passionate about Heifer as I am!

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