Passing on the Gift

Passing on the Gift is one of our 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development and is the hallmark of our approach. Initially, the concept mandated that each farming family who received an animal gift passed on the first female offspring to another in need. While that hand-off of livestock remains a fixture in most projects, the idea has blossomed and encompasses far more than our founders expected.

Many of the people we serve choose to go beyond the minimum requirements and give more animals (or materials, resources, training, money, food, or other items) - passing on the animals an average of nine times. Passing on the Gift allows project participants to become donors themselves and help lift their communities out of poverty and hunger. When families pass on the gift there is often a celebration ceremony with many members of the community participating, as one family helps another on the road out of poverty.