Editor's note: Dr. Terry Wollen is speaking at 9 a.m. today on "Agriculture/Capacity Building: Livestock Development After the Tsunami, AVMA/Heifer International Programs."
On Dec. 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake off Indonesia caused a vertical lift that displaced ocean water, triggering tsunami waves to the east and west.
In Indonesia, more than 170,000 people died or went missing—and the tsunami displaced upward of half a million people. In India, across the ocean, more than 17,000 people died or went missing. Thailand lost 9,000 people, and Sri Lanka lost more than 35,000 people.
Quantifying losses of agricultural animals was difficult because no good tallies existed before the tsunami. Agricultural animals that survived the waves were in danger during the following days not only because the tsunami disrupted care from their owners but also because seawater contaminated feed, forage, and fresh water.
Heifer International, Cooperative Outreach of India, and the Coastal Peoples Development Association have provided veterinary kits to village animal health workers. (Photo courtesy of Heifer International)The AVMA Executive Board decided to help with recovery efforts. Dr. Bruce W. Little, then executive vice president, was familiar with Heifer International's work to end hunger and poverty by providing agricultural animals and training. Dr. Bonnie V. Beaver, then president, wrote to members explaining an initiative to solicit donations for Heifer. The AVMA would provide matching funds of up to $500,000.
Less than six months later, the AVMA campaign reached the goal of $1 million. Heifer provided an additional $1 million for tsunami-relief projects in four areas where the organization has programs: the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand, the territory of Aceh in Indonesia, the Bay of Bengal coast of India, and the eastern shores of Sri Lanka.
Heifer International believes effective community development results from participation of the people and local ownership of the decision-making processes. Others can facilitate growth and change, but the local people do the work.
In Thailand, the Heifer tsunami-relief program helped supply fishing boats so villagers could return to their traditional income-generating activity. The program provided rabbits, goats, and cattle as useful agricultural animals. Heifer also supplied mangrove trees to restore natural estuaries, a line of defense against coastal erosion.
The tsunami in Sri Lanka may have been the worst natural disaster that the island has ever experienced. Heifer projects have provided water buffalo for dairy farming, tree saplings, and seeds to grow fodder and vegetables. Manure from the livestock has been valuable as a source of fertilizer.
Heifer projects in Indonesia have provided families with cattle, goats, materials for kitchen gardens, fish, fishing equipment, boats, mud crabs, ducks, chickens, mangrove trees, and microcredit. Another project has trained local farmers in health and husbandry practices so they can deliver services to their communities.
In India, families have received hardy local varieties of chickens to supply eggs and meat. Avian influenza makes use of poultry much more difficult, though. Goats are an important project animal because they are small and docile, provide milk and meat, require a low initial investment, and can survive on existing shrubs and trees.
Heifer International would like to thank the members of the AVMA and Executive Board, once again, for taking on this campaign. Tremendous good came from the AVMA focus on an area devastated by natural disaster.
