Inspired Magazine vol 3

What began as an impulsive bid to see if Andrew Costello could help one
poverty-stricken Cambodian family has morphed into a charity that is
changing the lives of hundreds of rural Cambodians. Cows for Cambodia
breaks the poverty cycle by donating one thing that can make a
massive difference to rural Cambodians’ long-term prosperity – cows.
On his first trip to Cambodia, South
Australian man Andrew Costello found
himself withdrawing money from an
ATM to get the hefty $650US he’d need to buy a
single cow. Cash in hand, he began approaching
random people with cows and asking to buy one.
“But with the language barrier, they had no idea
what I was talking about,” Andrew, better known
as Cosi, laughs.
Undeterred, three months later Cosi again tried
to buy a cow. Again his quest was met by blank
looks and puzzled faces. On his third attempt he
hired an interpreter to help negotiate the purchase.
Success. Cosi had bought himself a cow. Next
task? Give it away.
AN UNLIKELY EXPERIMENT
After holidaying in Cambodia while on break
from his TV travel show South Aussie with Cosi,
Cosi was struck by the extreme poverty that faced
Cambodia’s largely rural population. As someone
with a keen interest in agriculture, and a degree
on the subject, Cosi was interested to learn that
cows are the ticket to prosperity for many rural
Cambodians. Yet most Cambodians can only
dream of cow ownership. At around $650US per
cow, buying one was akin to buying a new house in
Australia. Cosi imagined the difference a single cow
could make to a Cambodian family – one breeding
female could produce calves that a family could sell
each year to transform their lives in the long term.
Left Cosi at Cambodia’s
Roluos Group Temples
with a recipient of
one of Cows for
Cambodia’s cows.
All photos by Nathan
Dyer Photography
COSI COSTELLO
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