Heifer International’s A/SP Region Strategic Planning Workshop and Council Meeting held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China.

Heifer International’s Asia & South Pacific (A/SP) Region Strategic Planning Workshop and Council Meeting was held February 18-27 in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Attendees included neighbors and representatives from eleven countries and regions as well as Dr. Mahendra N. Lohani, Director of the A/SP Program, Mr. Peter Gubbels of World Neighbors and Ms. Tanya Wright, Heifer International Vice President of Internal Affairs, and each of their entourages.

The attendees recalled the history of Heifer Programs in Asia and the South Pacific, analyzed the current situation and envisioned the future. All representatives enthusiastically participated in the discussion, developing the key issues of A/SP for the next five years and planning accordingly. Accompanied by Heifer China program staff, representatives visited the Sanzhuanwan project site, listened to an introduction to the project given by Heifer China staff and project partners. They visited the recipient farmers, who shared with them what they had achieved in terms of the livelihood and concept improvement since the project started. The representatives spoke highly of the project and expressed that they would apply this experience in their own countries’ programs.

Background on the Sanzhuanwan Project:

Located 30 km away from the capital of Songming County in the Greater Kunming Municipality, Sanzhuanwan Village has a population of 1,073, of which 90% are ethnically Miao. Being in a mountainous area with poor transportation and limited communication with the outside world, people there are very poor, with an average annual income of 625 Yuan (US$77) per capita. Since the implementation of the beef cattle project there in 2004, Dr. Lohani has on many occasions shown his concern with the local people’s life. Early on he visited the project site in person and suggested arranging a study tour consisting of the project farmers to visit Heifer Thailand to learn about project management. Right after the exchange program ended, the exchange team made an action plan through a joint effort from Heifer China, project partners and farmers. As of this February, the project farmers had selected the management for their program’s Self-Management Team, attended more than five training sessions on animal raising techniques and gender equity and undertaken two exchange visits. The participation ratio of women has risen from 0% at the beginning of the project to 40% today. Three public toilets and fourteen bio gas tanks have been built. Some of the project farmers use biogas as their primary source of fuel, thus reducing their consumption of firewood. They have and protected the environment at the same time as they have improved their quality of life.