As we begin the holiday giving season, it seemed a perfect time to do my first ever repeat. This post was one I did originally on March 13, 2009. Today, it seems more relevant than ever so I’m indulging in a repeat about my favorite non profits that I think might appeal to alpaca breeders everywhere.
With all the worse news on top of bad about the economy, it’s easy to get pessimistic. But amidst the stories of unemployment, foreclosures, and crumbling industries, it’s easy to forget one thing. This is still a country of incredible opportunities that people in many other parts of the world can only dream of. And that’s why I tend to focus my charitable donations outside the country and with a decided bias toward those that focus on enabling a sustainable living. Or as I like to think about it: open the door to opportunity for those willing to make something of it. For the like-minded alpaca lover, there are a few charities that I really love and speak to me as a livestock owner.
In the recent decade , it seems that Heifer has become a bit of a celebrity darling, but that doesn’t negate the sound reasons why I’ve loved it since way back when. Besides a very acceptable cost ratio (77% of donations go toward programs last time I looked), Heifer is the model for enabling a sustainable living where it is needed most. Basically your dollars go toward providing a recipient with an animal e.g a goat, bees, heifer, alpaca etc. That enables the recipient to earn a bit of income or eat better, in some cases free up the kids to go to school instead of working. Heifer provides training on how to care for the gift and when there are offspring, the recipient “passes on the gift”. – they give offspring to another member in the community. That member is now obligated to do the same and so on and so on. As someone who likes efficiency, I love how my one gift could start a chain of events that could enrich an entire community of hard workers hungry for a better way of life.
What alpaca breeder hasn’t heard of the Quechua Benefit? Founded by Dr. Mario and Barrie Pedroza (Morning Sun Alpacas), Mike and Julie Safley (Northwest Alpacas), and Don Julio Barreda (Accoyo Ranch), this started as a way to bring basic dental care to the impoverished Quechuas (especially the childern) in the unforgiving highlands of Peru. In many ways, these are our Peruvian counterparts – people trying to make a living from their alpacas. But where that can be quite lucrative in the U.S., these people eke out a subsistence living with no assistance from their government. The scope of the Quechua Benefit has grown to include the provision of equipment, food, and supplies and they are now embarking on the building of an orphanage, Casi Chapi, to not only shelter children, but train them to be self reliant and emotionally sound. The more I hear about the Quechua Benefit, the more impressed and humbled I am by the efforts of these members of our alpaca community.
Kiva appeals to the free market capitalist in me. It’s a microlending website where entrepreneurs around the world can apply for a loan. You can lend as much or as little as you want. When the combined loans reach their targeted need, the loan is fulfilled. It’s fascinating to read about the businesses people apply for. Some of them are so humble in nature they make me feel rather decadent and bloated in my consumerist lifestyle. Many of the entrepreneurs are women and many of the businesses around fiber arts or livestock. If you really want to get real, cruise through the hopes and dreams of the applicants and see how much a few dollars can do in other countries. Many of these people don’t have enough money to even open an account at a bank and therefore can’t apply for a loan. Or they are illiterate and can’t even do the paperwork. Even more amazing, 97% of loans are paid on time and the default rate is less than 1%. Huh – looks like we could learn a think or two from the Kiva entrepreneurs.
Kiva has had a lot of good press, most notably it was featured on Oprah and that resulted in all loans being fulfilled with lenders actually being turned away from the website. But now that that exposure has died down, there are plenty of applicants waiting to see if their business ideas tickle anyone’s fancy.
The Pacablogger 