Meet a Missionary: Veterinarian Dr. Daniel Graham
Christian veterinary missionaries help bring hope to communities around the world by providing animal care where it’s needed most.
“….Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ … gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are His Very Own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:13-14
In the United States, we have readily accessible grocery stores and restaurants full of endless food options. It’s easy to forget that millions of people in most parts of the world live in nutritional poverty. Lack of nutritious food leads to a variety of public health problems, including enhanced risk of disease and illnesses.
Meat is particularly hard to come by in areas with little access to food supplies, exacerbating community health challenges.
Dr. Daniel Graham recognizes this reality and works as a Christian veterinary missionary to meet the needs of Batwa communities in Southern Uganda. He teaches livestock production skills at a demonstration farm and promotes nutrition and public health through rabbit revolving loans.
What are rabbit revolving loans?
As a meat source, rabbit meat provides high levels of essential vitamins and minerals even as rabbits themselves require significantly less food and maintenance than larger meat animals.
The rabbit revolving loan program operates out of Dr. Graham’s local church and provides local families in need with a pair of rabbits. As the rabbits reproduce, the family of the original pair of rabbits returns offspring to the church. Program coordinators and volunteers then match the young rabbits with new families. The cycle repeats itself, supporting an increasing number of families in the region with a healthy and sustainable meat source.
Click here to learn more about rabbit meat.
Navigating COVID realities
While the rabbit revolving loan program and other initiatives started by Dr. Graham in Uganda continue, he and his family are currently in the United States. COVID realities make international travel complicated but Dr. Graham sees this as an opportunity to learn to trust in God’s faithfulness and timing.
Dr. Graham says:
“We are excited about all the opportunities that are ahead of us, but as 2020 has taught us, it is difficult to make plans too far ahead. We are learning to be patient.
Sometimes there are reasons for action and sometimes seasons for waiting. We know that God is faithful just as he has always been to us and we are optimistic about how he might continue to use us this year to serve the world around us.“
Christian veterinarians like Dr. Graham provide important animal care services in communities around the world. We love hearing the stories of MedSend Grant Recipients serving in this space. Dr. Graham joined us on Thursday, February 11 for our Meet the Missionaries Zoom event. Click here to request a recording and learn more from Dr. Graham.
Help more Christian veterinary missionaries and other healthcare professionals like Dr. Graham bring compassionate healthcare and animal care to communities around the world in need of compassionate workers. Make a tax-deductible donation to MedSend today.
Healthcare remains the only form of access as a Christian witness in many countries.
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