Special Column

A Brief Introduction of the Grass Root NGO

Jhosang Community Development Association

    Cultivating Grass Root NGOs is one of the fundamental goals of HPI China. Based on its aid providing and development promoting projects in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Rrovince, Ledu County and Ping'an County, with the aim of ensuring sustainability of projects and community development by comprehensive allocation of resources, the former Qinghai Office officially registered Jhosang Community Development Association (JCDA) on 6 th , July 2006 at Department of Civil Affairs. JCDA was the first local NGO in Haidong region, with 178 members, 5 councilors, 2 consultants and 4 assistant workers. The principle of the association is, through efficient allocation of all possible resources, to promoting comprehensive development of communities and bringing about communities enriched cultural life

    In the first half the fiscal year of 2007, the Qinghai Lake Area Sustainable Project and the Lianxing Integrated Community Development and Drinking Water Project, which involved solid investigation, preparation and application done by JCDA, acquired approval. Within the contract term, 360 poor families in 6 new prospect communities will be realizing self-reliance and sustainable development through various means of comprehensive development. Meanwhile, by providing project-related support and partner ability enhancement measures, regional projects will be dedicated in making the association more sensible, accountable, professional and capable of efficient allocation of resources.

Gender Equality

Gender Equality Training in TAR

    The traditional Tibetan culture gives full recognition of the ability and wisdom of women, and puts great emphasis on motherhood and contributions made by mothers to the world. However, in the midst of dramatic changes in every social realm, Tibetan culture is faced with various challenges and opportunities, especially the question of how to assimilate alien modern culture into its precious traditions. As a NGO, we should play an active and positive role in this. Therefore, with what we have acknowledged about the social structure and gender equality, we can help women to see what they have been blinded to, especially their values in family economy and social development and their universal potentials. As the projects being implemented, women will receive more opportunities for economic independence, participate more activities and get to know social tendencies.

    From 16 th July to 20 th July 2006, Heifer Tibet Office held a training course on gender equality for project families in Xialuo Village of Qusum County and Zhegu Town of Cuomei.

    The training took the form of games and Q&As to motivate villagers. Examples and stories were told to involve them in the whole process. Training courses in Xialuo Village and Kazhu Village were a tremendous success. When every domestic chore was listed, it was found that women took more domestic chores but few of them were physically challenging. So, it could be said that this division of work and role in family, naturally forming in social development, was in accord with reality.

    However, to optimize the influence of the project on community development, we hoped that our training could reduce the prejudice and discrimination against women, which was also a drawback on economic development. This training program made the women realize that every one in Heifer projects has equal opportunity and equal share of the benefits. Many of them said, “we have never listed the housework like this. Now we are clearer about our roles and contributions in the family and community. This brings us a sense of value. Housework is normally considered trivial and meaningless, so we never received the respect we deserve.” This acknowledgement was our first step towards success. The positive effect had been revealed.

Ethnic Group Culture Preservation

    Except for farmers' income generation and farmers' sustainable development capacity building, Heifer especially emphasizes on ethnic group culture preservation in Yunnan since 1999. Through cooperation with partners and communities, Heifer encouraged children in Tibetan project area to learn Tibetan language; Butter tea culture has been reserved in Puli Tibetan language school through butter donation made by Heifer project community; More and more Miao people have been motivated to attend their own gala, by Heifer's funding for Miao Ethnic Group Flower Mountain Festival; In addition, the joyance of passing on the gift has been shared in community by Lahu people's folk singing and dancing. In a word, the preservation of ethnic group culture is embodied in the process of project implementation through Heifer's diverse support means.