Farm Animals: Prosperity Catalyst for the World’s Poorest
For families trapped in extreme poverty, farm animals bring prosperity in surprising ways. Animals like cows, goats, pigs and chickens can provide lasting benefits that lift families out of poverty for good.
In many developing regions, people invest in animals the way those in developed nations invest in stocks or real estate. Farm animals can grow and reproduce, providing ongoing food and financial resources. Just as financial investments create security in the West, farm animals create security in less-developed areas.[1]
The Bible recognized the increase of livestock as a blessing from God. Groups like GFA World, World Vision and Lutheran World Relief provide animals to impoverished families to help them succeed.[2] Along with the animals, they offer guidance on proper care to create prosperous family enterprises. The goal is a long-term solution, not a quick fix.
Farm animals provide multiple benefits:
- Milk for nourishment
- Meat for food
- Manure to fertilize crops
- Labor to plow fields and haul loads
- Income from selling animals and animal products
- Offspring to increase the size of herds and flocks
With these resources, families can meet their basic needs and invest in necessities like health care, education, housing and amenities that improve quality of life.
The gift of a single cow or goat can start a family on the path to prosperity
For Taden, a cow lifted his family out of poverty. With income from milk sales, he could finally send his kids to school. Now with cows and goats, he has hope for the future.
Cows provide nutrient-rich milk plus meat. Just one cow can yield up to 490 pounds of beef. Goats require less space than cows and provide milk and meat too. Their offspring can quickly multiply a herd. In South Asia, one goat sells for a month’s wages.
Raylea, a widow with two children, received two goats. The milk and income let her buy necessities and donate an animal to her church.
Even chickens or pigs can make a difference. Chickens provide eggs and meat on a small plot of land. Pigs breed prolifically and require little maintenance. Just one animal can start a cycle of prosperity.
Groups like GFA World help recipients create family enterprises with cows, goats and more. The animals provide food, income and a way to invest in health, education and better quality of life.
As GFA World says, “God’s love must be demonstrated in more ways than just through words.” You can help lift families out of poverty for good by providing life-changing practical gifts of farm animals.
Learn more about poverty animal gifting[1] “Livestock: A pathway out of poverty,” CGSpace, accessed October 8, 2023, https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/4188/Ilri_interim_strategy_2011.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=3.
[2] “Livestock Empowerment — GFA World (Gospel for Asia),” GFA World, October 6, 2023, https://gospelforasia.net/poverty-alleviation-livestock/livestock-empowerment/.