Goats
for Democracy Part II
Readers may recall an article I wrote on this topic that
appeared on the back page of the Indy on October 3rd. (You can still view
it in the archives on the web site: (www.lagunabeachindependent.com)
It was about a Laguna Beach resident, Rosalind Russell, who will be traveling to
Nepal on December 16th to purchase two herds of goats to give to two villages in
Nepal in an effort to stave off poverty by improve their economic well-being and
fostering growth. In a nutshell, Russellıs goal is to give direct,
tangible assistance from an American a representative of democracy to
people who, besides struggling to meet their basic needs, live in a country that
is in the throes of great political unrest.
Indeed, Nepal is governed by a monarchy that is under constant threats of a
Maoist insurgencies. Democracy does not seem to have many sales reps, so to
speak, in the region, and that is where Russell comes in. The plight of
the impoverished people in rural Nepal is such that whoever offers them
assistance in the form of alleviating their suffering, reducing their poverty
and giving them the tools to prosper will be viewed quite favorably. Russell,
who has developed very close ties with a Nepalese boy (now a young man), Rabin,
and his family since a trip there 15 years ago, saw an opportunity and ran with
it. She saw that a gift from an American would not only help the villagersı
plight, but it might also put in a few good words for democracy as a way of
life.
Russellıs approach has been hands on. At first she was simply going to go
to Nepal, purchase one or two goats using her own money and give them to the
villages of her adopted family (Rabinıs village and the village his sister
married into). However, when Russell described her plan to some friends
and acquaintances, several wanted to get in on the action. And why not?
How many charities do you know where you give money to someone who is
going to personally deliver your donation directly to the beneficiaries no
overhead? So there you have it - instead of one or two goats Russell had
received enough money to buy about 10 at the time of the October 3rd article.
Well, as Russellıs departure date is less than an month away, now seems like a
good time to provide interested readers with an update on how the mission has
progressed since then and give you some details about how it will be carried
out. The wonderful news is that the size of the goat-herds-to-be has more than
doubled, thanks to the generosity of friends and readers in our beloved
community who took an interest in this most unusual project. ³I believe I
have around 45-60 pledges I have collected and deposited funds for nearly 30
[goats] at this time. The money is still coming in,² says Russell, who
is very excited about her upcoming trip.
Some might be skeptical and wonder how one goes about buying goats, of all
things, in Nepal, of all places. Never fear, Russell, with the help of her
³son² Rabin and his family has covered all the bases. First of all,
Russellıs adopted family will be taking better care of her than most peopleıs
blood relatives do, as is evidenced by the following excerpt from a recent
e-mail sent by Rabin. ³You just don't worry I have been looking many places and
found few good hotels for you to stay, I am so sorry that I don't have a house
with the minimum facilities so that you could be able to adjust and stay
together as a family, anyway I hope to manage that for your next trip to Nepal.
Hotel is for you to rest and mostly during day time I will be with you during
your stay here in Nepal. You will be going to the village for at least 5 days. I
am working hard these days so that I can get some days leave from my office
while you are here. I have already managed 10 days holidays during your visit to
Nepal. In case I have to go to work for 3-4 days there are my students and
sisters to assist you, It is arranged. Don't you worry, your eldest son is here
to guide you and to accompany you and it is going to be most interesting days
for all of us, I am sure. All the family members and my villagers are
keenly waiting to see you. .I am
thinking to manage our goat project to benefit all the villagers for that I must
go there and see during these holidays so I can tell you the best way to serve
the community.²
Furthermore, Russell has enlisted the help of Heifer International to assist in
the purchase of the goats through their Nepal office. Heifer International
is a charitable organization with many years of experience in the gift of live
animals. According to their web site: ³Heifer was founded on a
simple belief: ending hunger begins with giving people the means to feed
themselves. Since 1944, Heifer has helped more than 4 million hungry families in
the United States and 118 other countries move toward self-reliance through the
gift of food- and income-producing animals and training. Every family and
community receiving animals also receives training in environmentally sound,
sustainable agriculture.²
It is clear that with the help of natives of Nepal who consider her to be family
and are intimately acquainted with the needs of the villagers, and with the
additional help of a well-established international organization, Russell is
truly off to a good start. But what does all this entail, you say?
Here is your answer in Russellıs own words:
³The process will be upon arrival, being met with and by the family of Rabin. I
believe it will be Rabin, his oldest sister Rhada, the parents, and my
"Mom" Sani, the grandmother, mothers side. I have no idea what
that really will be like, but I am sure flowers will be part of it, in the form
of lei's as is the Hindu custom. It is also possible I will be met by
Heifer International of Nepal... but that remains to be told to me.
³From there, I will be taken to the village where I will
carefully assess the type of goats needed, as well as their (the villagers),
ability to manage them well and productively. I am looking to get
converters for the 'poop' so they will be able to heat their food with the
gases. (Isn't this a great concept?) This means, they have to have a
fenced area so as to allow the poop to be easy to gather. I can hardly
imagine going around and gathering one poop at a time
³I will return to Katmandu so as to get direction thru' HI [Heifer
International] as well as checking in with the brokers for live stock. I
want to be fully informed of the costs, the types of goats before actually
buying them. (Different breeds live better at different climates and altitudes,
which is why I am not ordering them before I get there, I want to know what is
best and right, if that is possible). They are to be pregnant, from what I
understand. This may mean goats will be guaranteed to be impregnated in
the spring, or a new pregnant goat will be brought in as a replacement if not
pregnable.
³It is my hope that the bargaining will be arriving at a lesser price
than I have been given at this time because of larger numbers of goats
purchased. That being the case, I will use the extra money for more goats,
or bunnies or chickens, whatever would be most suiting the villagers needs.
It is most important they are able to deal with what they get, so learning
more about their capabilities will be a huge part of what I learn while there
too. This is why I am excited to have HI in Nepal holding my hand²
How is that for detail about how a woman from Laguna Beach will be giving goats
to some people in Nepal? Many of us think about helping (if we think about
it at all) in the vein of ³wouldnıt it be great if we could² and thatıs
the end of it. The modus operandi seems to elude us and we donıt pursue
the idea. Happily for two villages in Nepal, Rosalind Russell figured out
that the ³why² was a good enough reason to pursue her mission and was willing
to worry about the ³how² as she went!
If you are interested in purchasing a goat, ($125.00) or a portion of a goat, or
if you want more information about the whole process, please contact Rosalind
Russell by phone or by mail: Rosalind Russell, P.O. Box 4183, Laguna Beach, CA
92652; Tel: 497-2545. Note that donations are tax deductible since
Russell is doing this project through her own 501(c)3 foundation, R STAR
Foundation/Ministries. She has operated this foundation since 1989 and it
has had official non profit status since 1998. Please also note that all
donations are properly accounted for and go to one account set up for this exact
purpose. ³each check received hits my GOAT account after I copy it and
file it in the GOAT file, then a personal note is sent with a card I have made,²
says Russell.