Elanco says it has committed $500,000 to Heifer International's East Africa Dairy Development Project (EADD), continuing the company's long-term partnership aimed at breaking the cycle of hunger for those most in need.
EADD aims to provide sustainable livelihoods for one million people in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya by 2018. Initiated in 2008, the EADD project has provided extensive training on dairy husbandry, business practices and operations as well as the marketing of dairy products for 179,000 farming families in the region. EADD has grown to be one of the leading market-oriented development initiatives in eastern Africa, earning the farming families more than $131 million.
The next phase will employ new technologies and practices around feed production, alternative energy sources and milk transport systems. The project will prioritize social capital and gender equity to increase impact, and will reach 136,000 primary beneficiaries.
The company's commitment includes the donation of product to help dairy farmers improve the health of their cows, the talents of its employees to provide on-site training in cow health, value-chain and policy engagement and financial support through 2018, including $500,000 this year.
This continues the company’s ongoing partnership with Heifer International started in 2007. To date, the company has contributed more than $3 million to Heifer, providing the gift of training and animals to break the cycle of hunger for families in Indonesia, Zambia and China. In fact, it is currently active in efforts to break the cycle in nearly 40 communities around the world.
"Heifer International is very excited about this generous contribution to support the important work in Phase II of our East Africa Dairy Development project," said Pierre Ferrari, the group’s president and CEO. “Our vision is to provide 136,000 smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda with the opportunities to create financial independence and social equality.”
“More than 1 million people will have better access to food, jobs, income, education, financial and medical service, breaking the cycle of extreme poverty throughout the region.”
For more information on what you can to do fight hunger and achieve food security, visit the website and consider joining the Enough Movement. PD
—From Elanco news release
