Heifer International program helps women escape poverty

Experts say that women in the developing world are often responsible for feeding their families and producing most of the food through labor. Yet many of these same women are not permitted to own land or livestock, or even to learn how to read and write. Overlooked by government programs and often denied education, many of these rural women face a cycle of poverty, hunger and despair.

A program called WiLD- Women in Livestock Development- may help change that. Run by the world hunger organization Heifer International, the program provides women with livestock as well as microcredit loans. It also provides training in strategic planning, reading, math and sustainable agricultural practices.

The training and livestock help women overcome discrimination and strengthen their position within their communities.

Heifer said that the success of the women shows others that women are capable of generating and stewarding family income and that men then begin to see the value of including women in decision making. The hunger organization adds that a ripple effect of changing attitudes sweeps through communities and lasts for generations.

Heifer's goal is to enable women to come out of isolation, emerge into the public square and create a brighter economic future for their families.

To learn more, visit www.heifer.org.

This story is provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.