On a superficial level the intersection of an Australian charity with cattle in rural Cambodia may seem bizarre or the stuff of bad streaming entertainment. But it’s a good thing.
For starters know the following, the Cows for Cambodia program dates back to 2011, when South Australian media personality Andrew "Cosi" Costello visited Cambodia and observed the abject poverty. He also learned the cultural and practical value of cows.
In Cambodia, a cow can be worth the same as a house, and many families only dream of owning one. Families can break free of the poverty cycle simply by owning a cow. Cattle are an important part of life in rural Cambodia, and they can become an investment for a family. Beyond just providing beef, families can use cattle as draft animals, and the cattle provide families with fertilizer so they can continue to farm. By owning a cow, a family’s finances improve, children stay in school longer and begin to lift themselves out of poverty.
So Cosi partnered with cattle expert Wallace Gunthorpe and soon this charity came to life. Today, it is Cambodia’s biggest agricultural charity.
But wait, what is it? Well, Cows for Cambodia is a cow bank. It loans pregnant cows to families who benefit from having them. The family looks after the pregnant cow, and when it gives birth, the family keeps the calf. Cows for Cambodia’s goal is for each one of their cows to remain healthy and happy in Cambodia (the charity also administers vaccinations to and for their supplied livestock.)
As the charity grew (and donation levels rose) the charity not only purchased more pregnant cows, but also invested in local schools. With more families matched up with cows, their financial situation is improved and this means, best of all, their children have time to learn (some former students are now studying at university.)
Looking to the future, Cosi plans to introduce a similar initiative in the Philippines, and/or India. The charity also has purchased nearly 16 hectares in Cambodia and plans to develop the land into a state-of-the-art cattle breeding facility that, once established, will be financially self-sustaining. The facility will serve as a base to educate Cambodian farmers about handling and breeding their own stock.
It’s a definite derivation from the “teach a man to fish” old saw, but it’s good.