| It's not what you think. Read on: |
Buying a calf for a needy-villager in Africa this Christmas would seem the ideal present but one charity says the warm glow one gets from sending some "ethical gifts" is not always matched by the reality. Send a Cow, one of the original charities involved in donating livestock to needy communities, says that cheap cows provided by some charities as part of ethical giving schemes will not make a "significant impact on poverty".| Gotta keep an eye on those cheap Chinese knockoff cows. |
The charity donates foreign breeds of cow to African families, and charges charitable givers £750 per cow. In contrast, Christian Aid is offering £165 cows on its virtual gift list and Oxfam is offering calves for only £32. | Bloody bastards. Those are prolly pirated clone cows. |
Pat Simmons, communications manager for Send a Cow, says the cheaper cows are local breeds that give a fraction of the milk yield of their £750 cows, who can give up to 25 litres of milk a day. "We are trying to make a real impact on poverty," said Ms Simmons. "One and a half litres of milk a day is not going to make a significant impact." The cheaper cows, she added, were "a lot of extra work for very little return".| "It's in the fabric and the finishing. Only the finest EU-certified artisans handle our cows. They are really the best in the field." |
Her charity also trains families in animal husbandry and supports them if the animals become sick. She had heard reports from Africans who were given a goat or other livestock with no backup - only to have it die soon afterwards.| Kinda like the goldfish I won at the fair, eh? |
Both Christian Aid and Oxfam rejected claims that their cheaper cows would not help poor families. | "Certainly not! Our cows work smarter, not harder, and we've really improved our bovine supply chain. We keep just-in-time inventory and we've developed an extensive network of drop shippers to keep our overhead down." |
Douglas Graham, head of business development at Oxfam, said the charity had "a different way of working" to that of Send a Cow, and talked to local partner organisations to provide the most appropriate solutions for people's needs. A Christian Aid spokesman said the charity felt it was better "to give money to local partner organisations and let them buy what they need". Both charities said they also provided vaccinations and backup schemes for all livestock provided.| "We offer a fantastic extended warranty plan for only £14.95." |
Like many other organisations offering "good gifts" this Christmas, neither Christian Aid nor Oxfam guarantee that your donation will actually be spent on the goat, cow, flock of chickens or well that you have purchased. Instead, the money goes into a fund that is spent on livestock or useful projects to help struggling communities in developing countries. The Christian Aid spokesman said the charity believed that this was a more effective way of using the money than allocating it strictly.| In other words, you pay for a cow, you get a Mercedes for the village elder's brother-in-law. |
Research by Whitewater, the charity marketing specialists, suggests that 30 per cent of Britons are considering splashing out on livestock and wells for the developing world as part of Christmas shopping this year. In the 25-34 age group, that figure rises to 40 per cent. Bryan Miller, Whitewater's planning director, said the trend for buying "virtual gifts" had increased since World Vision promoted the idea four years ago. He expected it to peak over the next few years. "It's a very nice new way of fund-raising," he said.| "Operators are standing by." |
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