The Rural Voice, 2006-12, Page 38A family gets seed and tools to plant a crop (above left). Above right, a proud youung girl shows off her goat. Often it's
the first time children have owned anything.
A GIFT OF FARMING
The gift for the person who has evergthing? How about something for those
who have so little that a few farm animals or fruit trees can change their lives
By Keith Roulston
The math is startling! While that
popular item the iPod will be
under many a Canadian
Christmas tree this Christmas, for the
same $350 investment as an 80GB
music player a Third World family
could receive 20 fruit trees plus clean
water for one family plus two pigs.
Such is the discrepancy between
the world of. Canadians and the world
of people in less -advantaged
countries that World Vision Canada
is trying to bridge through its Gift
Catalogue. The catalogue offers
Canadians a chance to help people in
34 THE RURAL VOICE
poorer parts of the world become
self-sufficient through the provision
of farm animals and plants.
First published in 2001, the
catalogue last year raised $8.1
million for work in developing
countries that purchased 34,700 hens
and roosters, as well as 7,400
medical clinics and many other gifts.
The catalogue allows Canadians to
give a gift on behalf of a friend or
relative that will benefit those in
another part of the world. The
number one most popular gift last
year was two hens and a rooster
which will go to benefit people in El
Salvador, India, Malawi, Peru,
Philippines or Senegal. For $50, the
gift produces up to 150 eggs a year
and the opportunity for more
chickens.
Second most popular gift, at $35
was one piglet for Chad, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Indonesia,
Malawi or Uganda. Other farming
oriented gifts include two ducks for
$30; two rabbits, which can produce
20 bunnies a year for $35; three
guinea pigs for $35 which are an
important source of protein and make