Meet an Ambassador

My motivation – Tony Buckle

“I became an Ambassador after hearing a talk about Send a Cow at my Rotary Club. I heard about how impoverished farming families have been empowered, and was so inspired I decided to help out.

Send a Cow also struck a chord with me as I went to Africa once in the course of my work as an agricultural scientist. Now I’m going again, this time to Uganda as part of an Ambassadors’ study tour. We pay our own way, but get to visit places and talk to people you would never see on a package holiday!

I mainly give talks to Rotary Clubs and schools. Rotary Clubs are mostly made up of middle-aged professionals, and there’s always a meal – it’s a bit like singing for your supper! A few clubs actually meet for breakfast at 7.15am, which is like the middle of the night to me!

I am more used to talking to adults than to schools, so that’s been a steep learning curve. You have to be a bit more creative when talking to children. I recently gave a talk to a primary school for their harvest festival. I wanted to talk about fruit trees, so asked a neighbour if I could chop off a branch of his apple tree. I used it with the children for role play.

I love it when I get invited back to a group I’ve given a talk to, and get presented with a cheque. The fact that I motivated people to raise money – that’s a kick! I love meeting people, and I have to admit, I enjoy an audience.

But most of all, I enjoy being an Ambassador as I believe in helping people to help themselves. I love Send a Cow, as it helps people change their lives. That’s a very strong motivator.”