A series of training and meeting on water supply, farming production, study tour etc have been conducted. Local people are capable to continue managing their activities by themselves
It is our opinion that the results/lessons could be scaled up to medium-sized GEF grant because the project life is longer and number of outreach will also be larger
Replication of project activities
Lessons learnt from this project especially chicken raising and small women business can be replicated in other areas although this project is a continuing process which not ends at the project end.
Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Local people are aware now that level of rivers and streams reduced significantly. They go farer and farer to collect food from forest. Their lives which are depending on the forest are complicated right now. They start thinking and taking care of environment
Policy Impact
The project has contributed to the poverty reduction policy of Lao government significantly.
Policy Influence
The project has provided a considered results and reflected the needs of local people such as water, income generating activities, sustainable farming production. These activities influenced the national policy of reducing poverty significantly
Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The project strenghthens the capacity of community on farming production. They are capable to manage their water supply, revolving fund, group lending, chicken farmer group, and meeting and exchanging experiences every two week.
Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples
The success of the project is highly depending on the participation of indigenous people. The project has been based in home of minorities such as Hmong, Yao, Khmu.
Notable Community Participation
The success of the project is highly depending on the participation of targeted beneficiaries
Project sustainability
The sustainability of this project is that villagers have known how to manage the results of this project such as participation on water supply, on chicken raising and small women businesses and awareness raising on NTFP
Linkages gef projects
This project could be one component of larger project.
Planning non gef grant
Training materials and methodology of this project can be scaled up through NPA network in Lao PDR.
Inovative Financial Mechanisms
We are aware the value of the project budget. We spent it as minimum as possible, and only the activities which benefit to local people.
Gender Focus
more than 70% of involved people in this project are women. Women are active. They are the persons who talk little but do a lot compared to men. Through this project women have convinced men highly. Their roles in society have been increased significantly
Project Results
Result 1
Increased awareness on natural resource management, especially NTFP which is the main food and income of villagers.
1.1 CDTC has collected information on Haem collection at 11 villages. Number of Haem collectors, amount of Haem collected in previous year were identified. This information is useful for awareness raising and manual development.
Awareness raising has been raised at district level. Village authorities, cluster authority, national protected area, district authority and offices participated in the awareness training course actively.
? 1, 000 posters distributed through participants and at various places including broadcast on loudspeaker.
? The manual is fit with local understanding and times of participants
? A DVD have been introduced.
1.2 171 trainees (94 women).from various levels, institutions and villages
1.3 The practices were successfully.
1.4 The plots are well protected. There are fences and combined with water supply.
1.5 Participants know how to do planting of Haem.
Seedling jungle vine is a historical event in Hom district since they don?t have a chance to pilot seedling forest products. Their awareness is low, their knowledge is limited and there is no means for indigenous people. This project has provided important inputs in order to improve forest products, local products/medicine as well as for a possible marketable surplus, and thus provide for a better life of poor ethnic minorities. The project has also provided best conditions for works and daily lives leading to reducing poverty and to protect National Park and watershed since the ethnic people are living in this significant site.
Finally, we stress that the project has provided important inputs and resources for a knowledge center for further development in Hom district. This is the only way for a better life and environment in this National protected area.
Result 2
Increased access to appropriate improved water sources including clean drinking water thereby contributing to reduce their burden and poverty significantly
We have therefore provided support to improve existing gravity systems of three villages: Phoupaman, Phonemouang and Samkhone, and two duck-wells for village Hinsor and Khonevath. Furthermore, the project has strengthened the capacity of village water user committees of these five villages on how to involve villagers in contributions their labours and means to maintain the water systems in longer term. Now, the villagers are happy that they access to clean water which can reduce their burden, especially for women and children significantly. The project has provided clean water and reduced burden for 446 households totaling 2,999 people.
Result 3
Build the capacity of communities to manage anticipated climate change risks through Promote secondary professions in order to improve the livelihoods of farmers affected by natural disasters induced by climate change
Therefore, the project has selected three areas to support in order to strengthen the capacity of communities to manage anticipated climate change risks as followings:
? Village poultry raising
? Banana planting
? Small women business
? Revolving fund for farmers and women businesses
Building village volunteer vet
We have cooperated with village authorities to select people who volunteers to be village vet. There are 23
village volunteer vets (16 women). They have participated in a series of training:
? How to collect data
? How to vaccinate poultry
? How to identify poultry diseases
? How to raise poultry
? How to plan for vaccination
There are a series of training on the topic above.
During June to October 2011 they have vaccinated poultry in total 8075 times. This sum reaches over 600 households.
It ensured that a considered number of chicken has been protected. And this is a historical event of Hom district. The most important thing is that 99,99% of vaccinated poultry survive the diseases.
Village groups for poultry raising
Based on LEA approach we have sent invitation to every household. People who have interest on improving techniques on poultry raising could join the program. For training the groups we have used such process:
? Analyzing the problems, the needs and expectations
? Prioritizing the topics
? Developing the training material
? Conducting the training
? Following up after training
? Monitoring and evaluating
Firstly the project has organized 6 launch workshops for district level and five villages totaling 150 participants (47 women).
The project has mobilized hundreds households (existing traditional livestock producers) to participate in the project actions. Awareness raising including identification of constraints, common solutions and data collection have been conducted. The development of training manual has been carried out based on the identification and local context and understanding, especially using of visual aids. A series of training (8 Trainings) have been carried out for 105 trainees (69 women). It ensures that the trained villagers practice the knowledge gained through group and individual planning, monitoring and evaluation together.
The manual has been published and distributed to the established groups and villagers.
It is to stressed that we spent a lot of time to consult with every household after trainings. However, we have seen that there has been little change because villagers spent their time during rainy season for rice cultivation and harvest time after rainy season. We have decided on December onward to accelerate the tempo. It meant that we have done with villagers to build chicken stalls, providing chicken and feed. This doing together have shown achievement. The number of chicken increased by 50%.
Furthermore, the project has set up five places at five villages where the group members can sit, learn and exchange experience every two weeks. This work is ongoing. The places are equipped with small library, information board. Our staff facilitators have came to the exchange experience and ready to exchange experience with the group members.
Study tour
CDTC has visited agriculture stations of Ministry of Agriculture and Forest in Nongteng and Nam Suang, and built good relationship with them. Together with groups the project has indentified the key points for sharing and learning and planned the study tour accordingly. The project and groups have also developed criteria for selecting participants for study tour. It has been important to keep good relationship with Nongteng Poultry Breeding Station in order to exchange knowledge and market for long term. The results of the visit has been integrated in all project phases: Planning, monitoring and evaluations. After the visits the participants are more motivated and integrated the results of study tour into their practices. Furthermore, their have bought small chickens from the station. In total, 20 participants (11 women) have jointed the study tour.
Practice station
CDTC has built a practice station including four stalls. There are hundred chickens and hens. The station is important for trainees to see and practice vaccinations. The station has provided small chickens to farmer groups so that they have chicken to raise. Here is also the place for learning and trainings including library. An incubator has been provided. A toilet, a kitchen and rooms for staff are also provided. Every day many people have visited the station. They could learn and get leaflet from the station.
Appropriate market identification
The producer groups have collected information especially prices and middle men in the district, outside districts including mining spot and capital Vientiane in order to scale up their markets and products. This has been also done through keeping contact with various restaurants in Capital Vientiane, especially with chicken grill shops. It is also important to facilitate dialogs among farmers and middle men in order to improve current relationship and reduce benefit gaps among them.
3.2 Banana Planting
A group of people consisting of 10 households has interest in planting banana. The project has helped the group through group establishment, provision of barbed wire and seedling. The farmers contributed their labor and fence posts. They have planted the banana in their rice field. In total there are 3000 seedlings. After months they have harvested banana already. They have banana to eat and sell and important they will have more seedling for other households. More households will also plant banana in coming years. It is also very important that farmers using the same rice field for few years until they move and destroy other forest.
3.3 Capacity building for women businesses
The project has identified 42 women businesses: Fish sellers, grill sellers, vegetable sellers, cosmetic shops, weaving, chicken sellers, noodle soup sellers, meat sellers and others. They are very happy that they have learnt on
? How to improve customer care
? How to improve their products
? How to market their businesses
? How to build groups for improving their products and for group lending
The participants have participated in a series of training related to the above training topics.
The participants are very happy with the training courses because it is the first time that they have chance to access to knowledge which is very relevant to their jobs. Our opinion is that the trainees are very active in learning and eager to learn from other participants and improve their business as much as possible.
3.4 Revolving fund for chicken raising and women businesses
The project has provided small loans with low interest (1% per month) range from 150,000 LAK to 1,000,000 LAK to chicken raisers and women businesses. Totaling 40,000,000 LAK have been provided. They are happy with the fund provided in order to improve and scale up their businesses.
