CWEF began partnering with Wheat Ridge in 2010, to provide animal gifts to a specific group of women who needed supplemental income and aid. We are so thankful for their partnership. Below is a final report done by the group looking back over the project and its goals.
“The project leaders began with an ambitious and clear plan to provide hope and health to Cambodian widows through gifts of animals. The plan included provisions for sustainability of the project beyond the grant term, and was formulated based on a similar successful chicken gifting project in the area. Animals for Widows aimed to gift 40 women with animals in its first year to help increase their income and improve their family’s overall health and life situation. Plans were made to ensure that the widows who received the first 40 gift animals would be able to pass along the next generation of animals to another 40 widows in the second year.
The project leaders formed an outcomes measurement plan at the beginning of the project and continued to use it throughout the grant term. The three outcomes for the project were:
1. Establish and train a local animal program committee for each gift community,
2. Increase the income of 40 widows by $25/month within 6 months of their animal gift, and
3. Ensure project sustainability by implementing plans to gift the next generation of animals to 40 additional widows within one year of the initial gifts.
Semi-annual visits were made to the women who received animals. During these visits it was determined if additional training was needed as well as the impact of the animals on the lives of the women and their families. If there was a change in the women’s lives or the animal(s) had died from disease, the women contacted their local leaders who in turn contacted the project coordinators.
The project made significant progress on all three outcomes. The local animal program committee was established and trained on how to select and give animals to eligible women. However, there were issues with ensuring that all recipients met the eligibility requirements of the program. Leaders have since resolved these issues and have measures in place to ensure that only those women who are eligible will be properly identified and receive gifts in the future. As of this writing, 31 widows have received animals, and staff is working to identify nine more eligible recipients to reach the goal of 40 widows receiving animals.”