December is here, and the search is on for the perfect Christmas gift.
Many around the world are scrolling through online shops and visiting brick-and-mortar stores to hunt for just the right thing to put under the tree for their loved ones. Some even have detailed lists of price ranges, sizes, styles, tastes, and preferences. And they do it all in an effort to select something truly meaningful and memorable, a challenge that seems to get harder each year.
But now, with the help of a vulnerable family in Burundi, the code has been cracked, and the perfect Christmas gift has been identified.
It’s a cow.
From Hunger to Hope
The cupboards in Celestin’s house were bare. Despite putting in long hours of grueling work, he and his wife struggled to provide nourishing meals for their five children.
His land was infertile. Their harvests were insufficient. The kids, growing sick and weak, finally dropped out of school.
Celestin says his family was living on survival mode, adding, “My children used to wake up very early to beg in the market or even in the neighborhood.” They relied on the kindness of neighbors just to get from one day to the next, he says.
But then, something amazing happened: A generous person from halfway around the world gave a loved one the gift of a cow from the FH gift catalog. It also provided the perfect Christmas gift to Celestin and his family.
This cow was a real game-changer.
First, the cow produced loads of manure, which Celestine learned to use to fertilize his land. He soon saw a dramatic increase in his crops, and ultimately, his harvest tripled. With this abundance of nutritious food, his children now always have food to eat. And they even have extra produce to sell at the market!
Next, the cow’s protein- and calcium-rich milk added to the children’s well-balanced diet. Now they have a tasty, nutritious treat to drink, while their parents also use the milk in delicious recipes.
The changes continued. Celestin’s children, no longer hungry or sick and with no need to spend time begging for food, have returned to school. They’re learning valuable skills that will propel them into a brighter future.
The Perfect Christmas Gift Changed Everything
“My family’s life has improved dramatically,” Celestin shares today. “Now the children are in good health and are back in school. And we’re all much healthier and happier.”
Asked what he’s most grateful for, Celestin answers with a smile, “I am most grateful to see my children performing well at school. And at the same time, I am very happy for my family’s life nowadays.”
Though a cow may seem like an unusual present, it has proved to be the most perfect of Christmas gifts: It has brought life, and hope, to a vulnerable family. And it has met the needs of today to spark the dreams of tomorrow.
“I dream to become a big producer of select seeds, because I now realize how important they are to a farmer,” Celestin adds.
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