Students Send a Cow

27th Jun, 2008, by J Owens

On Wednesday (25/6) Year 9 students at The Kings of Wessex School presented "Send a Cow" international charity representative Lynda Morris with a cheque for over £400 from last term's non-uniform day money nominated by the School Council.

Retired Deputy Head Mrs Morris thanked the students for their generosity and talked about the work of Send a Cow. Kings' students were mesmerised as they watched a video of life in the more deprived countries of Africa. A young African girl of their age walked half a mile early each morning to collect water to nurture her vegetable garden, before walking to school and sitting in classes with up to 70 other students. On her return home she continued her chores, and made dinner for her family.

Save a Cow started twenty years ago in July 1988 when a group of UK dairy farmers sent twenty five pregnant cows on a plane to Uganda. It was a small project designed to help a few people. The cows, along with training and veterinary support have transformed many lives. Today, Send a Cow operates in ten countries, supplying a variety livestock, working with thousands of people of different backgrounds, needs and capacities. Other schemes have been piloted, expanding beyond Uganda: goats for families with small plots of land, or people with HIV /Aids; and apple trees for farmers living in the Highlands of Ethiopia.

Mrs Morris explained the charity's rationale to give the cows directly to the women of the village because they can be trusted to use wisely for all the family. Mrs Morris also emphasised Send a Cow's ethos of inspiring dignity in the people. To this end, families who receive a cow make a pledge to pass on the first female offspring to another family, or money from the first harvest, also sending some hope of a sustained future.

For more information about the charity you can visit www.sendacow@org.uk