Buy a Buffalo!

Yes. Why not. Buy a buffalo! No, not the one roaming in the Wild West but the one called bhains (water buffalo) in Pakistan. It just costs less than a few hundred dollars and it can support a family in Pakistan.

This is what literally Human Development Foundation (HDF) does in Pakistan where it works in about 200 villages with village based community organizations.

Ihsanullah, a teacher, lived a life of struggle. He went to work everyday, he worked hard to earn his wages. But the money simply wasn't enough to sustain his large family of nine people. 2,000 rupees a month doesn't go very far in Ihsanullah's village near Mardan. He needed another source of income but where would he get the money to get started?

When HDF's economic development program came to Ihsanullah's village, he got a loan to purchase a buffalo for milking. Although the loan was to be repaid in two years, the milking business was so successful, Ihsanullah paid off the loan in just one year. He has now taken out a second loan to purchase livestock. He is well on the way to making a better life for himself and his family.

Ihasanullah's story is typical of the kinds of changes that have come about in the lives of the rural poor in Pakistan thanks to HDF. For many, the days are taken up with simply trying to scrape by. In the developing world, having an adequate source of income is often the stuff of dreams. All too often, every member of the household, including very young children, must work to keep the family from the brink of starvation.

You can support HDF in its micro credit program which provides interest free loans with a record 100% return.

Or you can establish your organization to do the same thing. In some cases duplication is not really a problem. Or if you don't want to get into a long term situation, next time you think of charity, why not think of a buffalo. The milk of this nice humble friendly beast has raised many Pakistanis.

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:47:40 PM

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