About us
Heifer International Nepal is dedicated to ending hunger and poverty by empowering smallholder farmers. Through sustainable agriculture, women’s empowerment, and market-driven solutions, we help communities achieve self-sufficiency and economic resilience.
Heifer International
“Not a cup, but a cow”
While distributing meager rations of powdered milk to children, Indiana farmer Dan West was distraught when the supply ran out and children were still waiting. He realized they needed “not a cup, but a cow.” This simple realization led to the birth of Heifer International, and for 80 years, the organization has worked tirelessly to provide families with a hand up, not just a handout.
Heifer International Nepal
Heifer’s work in Nepal began in 1957, providing improved livestock breeds at the government’s request. Since signing an agreement with Nepal’s Social Welfare Council in 1997, Heifer has reached more than 400,000 families, transforming livelihoods through agriculture and livestock programs. These families are organized into Self-help Groups, Social Entrepreneur Women’s Cooperatives (SEWCs), and district unions, with 99% of members being rural women.
Heifer Nepal promotes resilience through the Social Entrepreneur Women Alliance (SEWA), a network of women-led cooperatives that boosts livelihoods by enhancing technical, governance, and financial skills. By collaborating with local governments and NGOs, Heifer connects self-help groups and cooperatives to strengthen community development and economic empowerment.
With a focus on sustainable and inclusive goat, dairy, and vegetable value chains, Heifer Nepal uses the Values-Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) approach to help families rise from poverty to sustainability. Heifer has worked in 53 districts till date, with 34 partners including the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, provincial governments, and local NGOs to create lasting change.
Heifer’s approach also includes market system development, helping farmers access markets and create economic opportunities. By providing livestock, seeds, training, and gender equity initiatives, Heifer enhances agricultural productivity and market access. The organization also works on disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure to protect communities from climate challenges. Through its programs, Heifer helps farmers build sustainable businesses, access markets, and train the next generation of agricultural leaders.
To date, Heifer has supported over 17,000 self-help groups, 293 cooperatives, and 3 district unions, providing farmers with critical resources like savings, credit, insurance, marketing, and enterprise support. Around 900 local entrepreneurs have been trained as Community Agro-Vet Entrepreneurs, improving animal welfare and creating income opportunities.
Heifer’s primary objective is to help families achieve a sustainable living income, ensuring access to safe shelter, nutritious food, education, and healthcare while also building resilience to economic and climate challenges.
Heifer Project Nepal
Heifer Project Nepal, a legally separate entity from Heifer International Nepal, was established in 1996 with the mission of ending hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. The organization works in partnership with local, national, and international stakeholders to empower communities by promoting food security and improving the quality of life through sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and livestock farming. This initiative focuses on engaging women and youth as catalysts for change, with households acting as economic hubs. By prioritizing sustainable development, job creation, food security, income generation, and employment opportunities, Heifer Project Nepal aims to create lasting, positive change in the country.
Goals
- Heifer Nepal focuses on implementing sustainable solutions to end hunger and poverty in the communities through different programs and initiatives.
- Heifer programs support entrepreneurs in creating lasting change from the ground up.
- Heifer empowers communities by providing them with the tools, knowledge, and resources they need to build sustainable livelihoods and become self-reliant. It begins with a seed investment of livestock or agriculture, followed by mentorship to help project participants build a business, and ultimately to gain access to supply chains and markets.
- Heifer Nepal promotes environmentally sustainable practices and encourages communities to adopt agricultural and livestock management techniques that protect the environment and natural resources.
Our Mission
“Ending Hunger and Poverty While Caring for the Earth”
- We work in partnership with the communities to end hunger and poverty.
- Our programs support entrepreneurs, creating lasting change from the ground up.
- It begins with a seed investment in livestock or agriculture, followed by mentorship to help project participants build businesses, and gain access to the supply chain and markets.
- These families can earn a living income and can continuously lift the communities, as they train the next generation of leaders.
