Our Chosen Charity

One thing that we have thought long and hard about is building in some element of charity support to our site.  We considered making a small charge to list items, but in the end decided that it would be difficult and not cost effective to try and handle lots of small sums of money.  So we thought that we would trust to people's good will, honesty and generosity - and send people lots of opportunities to make a donation straight to our chosen charity.  The charity we have chosen is Send A Cow.  We have both been given gifts of chickens for our birthdays by our elder sister and we liked the tangible and practical side of this.  We would like to thank the people at Send a Cow for being so helpful.  We hope you enjoy looking at their site - you can give an ordinary donation or buy such wonderful things as bees, fish and a share of a goat - as well as a cow (or part thereof!) to give to people who need it and transform their lives.  Follow the link, add it to your favourites and use it for people's birthdays. 

Below you will find a little more info. on the charity that has been mercilessly plagiarised from their website - (with their permission!)

Send a Cow is a Christian charity that enables poor farmers in Africa to become self-reliant by providing them with livestock, training and advice. They work with some of the most vulnerable groups in Africa, including children orphaned by war, families affected by AIDS, and disabled people.  The charity was founded in 1988 in response to a plea from a Ugandan bishop. The country had been devastated by a long civil war: people had lost their homes and cattle, and milk had become a luxury that few could afford. The bishop had heard there were milk surpluses in the UK, and appealed to British farmers for help.  A group of Christian farmers based mainly in the West Country decided to send not milk, but long-term help in the form of cows. The first plane-load of 32 in-calf heifers left Gatwick Airport in June 1988 and arrived in Uganda 12 hours later. With the help of local church groups, they distributed the cows to poor women. They also trained the recipients in caring for their animals, and offered them low-cost veterinary services.

Now, in 2005, they work in seven countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Zambia and Tanzania and they have also worked with a group in Sudan. Send a Cow supports new and established projects by supplying cows, goats, pigs, poultry, bees and fruit trees, and they are piloting schemes to provide rabbits, fish and draft oxen. Now they source all the livestock in situ so it is better for the animals, the environment and the economy.

   Why the focus on Livestock?

An animal brings many benefits to a poor family. Its milk, eggs or meat enrich the family’s diet. Any surplus can be sold to bring in an extra income. And the animal’s manure is vital for improving soil, so a family can grow more vegetables to eat and to sell.  As the programme has expanded, Send a Cow has begun to adapt their model to apply to new situations. People in some areas are not able to keep livestock so they are given bees and fruit trees, which provide honey and fruit for eating and for sale. they are also given training in how to grow vegetables in harsh terrains.

Whatever is given, it helps a family earn money for households basics that they cannot grow or make themselves, such as soap, rice, paraffin and clothes. Some families use the extra money for repairs to their homes or to buy goods that will enable them to set up small businesses: a sewing machine, for example, or more land on which to grow cash crops such as coffee.  But above all, recipients spend the money on items their children need to get through school: paper, pens, books, and in some countries, fees. A gift of livestock allows a family to stop living from hand-to-mouth, and start planning for a better future.

If you do not like making donations over the web don't let that stop you: use their postal address

Send a Cow,

The Rickyard,

Newton St Loe,

Bath,

BA2 9BT