I completely missed International Women’s Day on March 8th this year, and I’m feeling a little guilty about that. So I’m going to do one post at the end of each one of my trips, comprised of photos of the beautiful women I met in that country.
The women of Haiti were a constant source of inspiration to me: strong, brave, incredibly hard-working, and courageous in ways I cannot fathom. And despite their hard lives, full of joy. 
But to be honest, I’m blown away by the women in every country I visit. On this planet there are 650 million smallholder farmers who produce 70% of all the food we eat. And the majority of those farmers are women. 
When we help women farmers, we’re simply being smart –because with tools, training and technology, they will do what women always do: they’ll feed us, take care of us, and provide.
If I loved Heifer International for nothing else, it would be for its tireless, inventive, and unwavering commitment to empowering women farmers around the world to grow more, earn more, learn more, and achieve security for themselves and their families.
I’m seriously tickled pink to be a tiny part of this important work, and I can’t believe that I have the privilege of introducing you to these remarkable women (and there’s a story behind each one of these photos).
Happy International Women’s Day!! (let’s pretend it’s today).
And yes, I am in Peru now, and to prove it, here’s a little taste of things to come (it’s a female so it fits the theme). 
Heifer 12 x 12 
Hi Betty,
I love Heifer International for the same reasons you enumerated on your blog. Also, because I have four girls and have always been fascinated by the “lives of the saints” who many are women and were remarkable role models in their era and often ahead of their time.
I now have a whole new slew of women (because of your blog) who are the cutting edge for their cultural era. These amazing women around the globe are current-day role models that my girls can look up to and understand the power of the female specie.
Hugs!
Ginger
Amen to that, Ginger! I wish I could take both your daughters and mine on these trips so they could see the unbelievable determination and drive of these women who are poor and overlooked in so many ways, but who just BLOW YOUR MIND with their fierce will to make something better of their lives. I can’t wait to write about the women of Peru! ….and Men, too, of course!! ( :
Betty,
I have very much enjoyed following your blog. Your pictures are wonderful and I especially enjoyed these of the women. They are all so beautiful and the light radiating from their faces touches me. The picture of the woman in black with her arm around the woman in white made me laugh. They look so full of life and playful joy!
JoAnn
Hi JoAnn — thanks so much for following my blog! I loved these two women because they were obviously friends from way back — and it was only after I showed them a few previous pictures I’d taken of them, they loosened up and really began to show their true colors! It reminds me so much of me and some of my best girlfriends with whom I have QUITE a history (Bevan, I’m talking about you!)
Between your work and witings and the work and commitment of Pattie Baker, as a comedian once said on the old Johnny Carson Show, “I feel like a pair of brown shoes at a black tie affair.
I have taken the liberty of posting your latest blog to my blog. That should get you at least a couple of more readers.
Thanks for all you do and the world that you open up for all of us.
Bob Lundsten
Thanks so much, Bob, for posting my blog on yours!! That is really generous of you and believe me, if you knew how many times I feel like a pair of brown shoes, you’d feel in good company! (But Pattie is a whole new genre .. what a force of nature!!) THANKS for reading!!
Betty—I’m going to Malawi in May. I know you won’t go there until later this year, but I thought I’d let you know. Along with five other countries in Africa…I’m so excited! I’m so happy I’m a woman!
Sherry — That’s brilliant! I can’t wait to be on the same continent (again) as you! I’ll be in Africa in May but I’m not sure where. Maybe Rwanda?? How cool that we will be in Africa the same time… wowsa!
Betty, I love your blog and look forward to the next 9 months. Thanks for catching up on International Women’s Day with these wonderful pictures. I have been fortunate enough to visit some Heifer projects in Peru and am especially excited to see what you see in Peru through your eyes. Maybe I’ll even recognize one of the wonderful women we met when we were there.
I hope that you find a face you recognize .. but since we’re generally WAY out in the backcountry, I kinda doubt it.. unless you were on a women’s handicraft cooperative (and you might have been!!)
We drove up to the giant Christ statue on the hillside of Cusco last night and all took nutty photos .. but Cusco has grown SO much since my hubby & I were last here — it’s hardly recognizable to me! Very upscale and posh — like the Carmel of Peru!
So, where are you and who are you? The kids and cats say hi (o.k., we have no kids and cats at home anymore). You are missed! By the way, exactly how do you know your last subject isn’t a guy?
Okay, so happy to be missed and sorry we don’t have kids OR cats at home anymore, but the last question is just .. hmmmm. She is a beautiful woman, darling. Maybe I’ve been away too long!
Each one of the Heifer 12 X 12 blogs is more heartwarming, inspiring and phenomenal than the previous one! Your words and photos tell the stories so beautifully! How amazing it is to visit each country and experience it via your unique lens. Thank you, Betty! Thank you!
Oh, I have to agree, Betty. Haitian women are amazing. And I love the Peru photo as the end.
Hugs,
Kathy
Thanks, Kathryn! … I know you know how glorious the Haitian women are … and now you know how adorable the llamas are, too! (But wait til you see the alpacas!) xooxox b
thank you, merci, gracias, todah rabah for all the inspiring words and photos!! keep on truckin’ Bet-ty
Keep on truckin’ is my everlasting motto, darling … thanks for the comment!!
Betty,
Excellent posts, photos and writing.You are an inspiration.
Ronnie
Kinda makes you wonder, why it’s men who run the world ?
yeah, doesn’t it?? On the other hand, I can’t tell you how moved I am at the men I’ve met in Peru
who are working like crazy to empower remote & ignored farming communities to have the confidence, pride and drive to change their circumstances … so I guess I’d have to say:
Power to the People … right on!
Dear Betty,
I knew the minute we met at MLBs that you would spice up my life! I am following every new adventure and enjoying them all, from your photos, writings and humor. I am also forwarding each episode to my daughter and you have become her hero with her dream job. Thank you for sharing all of this goodness with us. Love Connie
Darling Connie — I knew the minute I met YOU that you were my kind of woman … so it’s a mutual admiration society to be sure!! I am so happy you are following my journey .. it’s kinda lonely at times, so it makes me feel GRAND that I have you along with me (at least in spirit!) … I am so honored to be a part of the MLB’s and will never miss a meeting unless I’m in … um, Peru! xoxoxo b
I only came across the International Women’s Day last year….never heard of it before. Thanks to Twitter, my mini university last year, ha ha! Well you are one of those IW. I posted my grandmother to my facebook last year at the age of 100, as she had traveled the world sightseeing, so you are on your way….. a1nunn….her remark is priceless 😉
Thanks, I loooove these pics. BTW can I use one or rather share one with credits to an online journal for others to see? Let me know.
Of course you can use one of the photos — just please give me a credit as you suggested, and I’d be thrilled! I’m so happy that you felt the same way I did about these beautiful women’s faces … just goes to show you that we’re all International Women at heart!!
Thank you so much!
The problem isn’t that Whip is known for a character for the show, noticeably Whip and even his family unit lost ones own main income source due with the BP gasoline spill.