Arkansas Agriculture Edition 26 : Page 11
The gift of farm animals fulfilled Billy Nzobo and his wife, Nestry, are an impressive example of how a family can benefit by having animals given to them by Heifer. They live in Tigwirizane, part of the Luanshya District in Zambia. In 2004, they received two cows and now have 16 cows. Billy sold one cow and bought roofing sheets for his house and then sold another cow and bought an engine and a pump to get drinking water and for gardening. He wanted to expand his farm and vegetable capacity, so he bought bull calves for plowing. The family crops include corn, onions, tomatoes, Irish potatoes, other garden vegetables and grass for cattle fodder. His milking cows zero-graze according to the Heifer International training model. The money earned during the last few years has enabled him to send all of his children to school, purchase bicycles, household goods like dishes, a TV set and chairs to sit in. His cows produce 20 liters of milk per day. “We didn’t have anything here before Heifer animals,” Billy Nzobo said. “My animals don’t get sick. God has blessed me. I follow the instructions given in training. This is where God has come in.” Asked what advice he had for other beneficiaries about to receive Heifer animals, Billy said, “I’d tell them the animals bring a lot of good things. If you have problems, just having an animal lessens the burdens in life.” Nestry knows firsthand how having the cows has improved life for her family. “We see a lot of difference in terms of nutrition. We are now able to raise more crops because of the cattle. Children drink milk now. We used to have two meals a day at best, now we have three.” Arkansas Agriculture 11 Heifer International
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