‘Read to Feed' buys water buffalo

Hampton - Kittatinny Regional High School seventh graders probably thought their mothers invented multi-tasking, but they learned the ultimate multi-tasker is the water buffalo. The female of this versatile species provides its farm family with milk loaded with protein and nutrients, organic fertilizer for the fields, strength to pull a plough and dexterity to pull a cart loaded with crops. These students became experts on this Asian draft animal through Heifer International, a charity that provides animals to poor families in the Third World. The students decided to participate in Read to Feed which helps with the purchase of Heifer International farm animals. They read the books to enrich their minds, but also to help an Asian family feed themselves. Readers were Chris Avarella, Glenn Gavan, Shaina Hendler, Amelia Maio, Emily Mountford, Carly Pierson and Ellen Tomlinson. They got some help from the faculty and raised $250. A water buffalo is “one of the most sought-after livestock in many parts of the world,” according to Heifer International’s literature. It can plough a one-acre field in two days that would otherwise require two weeks of manual labor, Heifer International said. Small farm families with water buffalo often can plant four times more than those without one. Then the animals help carry the crops to market. Seventh-grade English teacher Patricia Paugh said students learned about famine worldwide through the project. Heifer International, a non-profit group, raises money to purchase animals in an effort to help needy families become self-sufficient. “Students gained so much from this project. They demonstrated good citizenship, care and concern for the world, and the use of reading to promote positive change,” she said. “I am very proud of the steps they have taken to effect change in the world.”