Paul Farmer speaks at grand opening of Heifer Village

Little Rock, AR – Several hundred people (including Sustenance Group Director Kristi Wooten) gathered for the dedication of Heifer Village at the Murphy Keller Education Center on the Heifer International Campus in downtown Little Rock today. In bright morning sunlight on a small stage, Heifer International Board of Directors Immediate Past Chair Charles Stewart welcomed guests and introduced Mayor Mark Stodola and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, who praised the local community for supporting the NGO and “keeping it close to home.”

Partners in Health founder and internationally-renowned physician Paul Farmer gave the keynote address, in which he stressed the importance of partnerships – local, regional, national and international – “to break the cycle of poverty and disease.” “A vulcanized approach will not work,” he said. “We should look at partners as family,” he continued, “And we must be from the same family tree.”

The village, housed in a modern building (green design and construction, of course), consists of exhibits, meeting spaces, educational resources, and store – all of which educate the visitor about Heifer’s mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Truly worth a visit if you’re ever near Little Rock.

For more information, visit http://www.heifer.org/