This Little Piggy Can Make a Difference for Sylvia’s Children

Putting lipstick on a pig isn’t considered a good thing. However, putting a name on a pig can be a very good thing, indeed – especially when it’s to support a worthwhile cause.

Sylvia’s Children is a Monmouth County, NJ-based nonprofit that supports more than 1,000 students – many of them orphans – at the Mbiriizi School in Uganda. The organization was founded by Holmdel, NJ resident and businesswoman Sylvia Allen, who was “adopted” years ago as the esteemed honorary grandmother to the children. Her mission since then has been to make an impactful difference in the students’ lives through education and to make the school totally self-sustaining through various ambitious initiatives.

In recent years, one of those important initiatives has been the school’s pig farm. But the school – which, along with the surrounding village, was hit particularly hard by the COVID pandemic and the educational and economic shutdown it created – suffered another terrible blow when it lost all 100 pigs due to an outbreak of swine flu.

Never one to be intimidated by a challenge, Allen recently launched a Donate a Pig campaign to help repopulate the school’s vital resources. For a donation of just $50, you can not only purchase a pig as a charitable gift for the school, but you can select a favorite name for your pig, too! The school will raise the pig and then sell it to a local farmer who can start his own pig business. In this way, the students will learn self-reliance and the school will have sorely-needed income – and you will have a unique gift for yourself, a family member, friend, or coworker! If you wish to commemorate your donation in a special way, you may request a certificate that shows your new pig ownership and the name you’ve selected. 

Did you happen to miss someone on your holiday gift list this year? Would you like to make your Valentine swoon with a special gift of swine? Maybe you’re looking ahead to Easter and would like to buy a precious piglet instead of a bunny. Or perhaps you’d like to show an upcoming graduate the value of self-sufficiency, building a future, and overcoming any challenge.

To find out more about Sylvia’s Children and to donate a pig, contact Sylvia Allen directly at 732-946-2711 or Sylvia.Allen@AllenConsulting.com. You may also go to www.SylviasChildren.org/donate-today and click on the orange Donate Safely with PayPal button to be linked to the Sylvia’s Children account. After you make your monetary donation, you can add a note with the number of pigs you wish to fund and the name of your pig(s). Please add an email address if you would like to receive a certificate to commemorate your gift and your pig’s name.