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These two projects were written to complement each
other.
Rotary International organizes districts together in
groups of 12 or 13 districts called a Zone. Usually two
neighboring zones meet together annually and hold training and
informational sessions.
Zones 29 & 30 decided at their Zone Institute in
Kansas City to fund a Matching Grant project, cooperating with Heifer
International. Each district donated $1,000 or more to the effort.
Matching Grants 51331 and 51334 were funded with this money and also
with contributions from our project partner club - Rotary Club of Chiang
Mai North, Thailand and the Thai District 3360.
A Chiang Mai Rotarian also serves as the leader of
Heifer Project/Thailand, and so Heifer Project/Thailand or an affiliate,
Heifer Project/Mekong Valley Project was a key cooperating organization
on both projects.
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The villages helped with the water systems of MG 51331 are subsistence
farmers, raising grain and also some fish crops.
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Grant # 51331 funded the construction of water tanks, filters and
plastic piping to bring water to rural villages in Thailand. The
water is being used for drinking, cooking, and irrigation of crops. This
grant also funded the purchase of "fodder grass" seed,
important to its sister project.
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Now the people living in these villages have a clean source of water for
bathing, cooking, and irrigating their crops, including fish crops.
There are over 2,700 individuals benefiting from this project. |
Several Chiang Mai North Rotarians (in blue and white shirts) attend the
dedication ceremony for one of the water systems, pictured behind the
group to the right of the banner.
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Grant # 51334 funded the purchase of 45 dairy cows to
be given to 45 women heads-of-households in the Mekong River Delta
region in the far southern regions of Vietnam. The cows were
transported from a large farm in Thailand through Cambodia and into
Vietnam.
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The cows were purchased from the Chokchai Farm in Thailand and
transported to Vietnam in late September 2004. The cattle had to remain
in quarantine for 30 days before being released to the beneficiaries.
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The cattle traveled to Vietnam "by land and by sea."
(well.... river) |
Several high officials attended the official delivery ceremony of the
cows, including the Deputy Minister of Public Health and a
representative of the Vietnamese Embassy.
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In late May & early June 2005, a few months after the project was
officially complete, several Rotarians from Chiang Mai North, Heifer
Project/Thailand staff members, professors from the Animal Science
Department, and the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Chiang
Mai University visited the project site.
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They provided training in animal husbandry, production and treatment of
dairy cows to the Vietnamese recipients.
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They also studied the accomplishments and obstacles encountered with the
project and gave encouragement to the beneficiaries.
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The Vietnamese women farmers in three villages (Lang Hoa (Can Tho City),
Lai Vung and Lap Vo (Dong Thap province) are very proud of the cows they
received and are taking very good care of them. They had never dreamed
of owning such good breeding stock in their lives. So far, about 80% of
the dairy cows are pregnant and should produce calves in November 2005.
The 80% conception rate is higher than the expected rate of around 70%.
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Former Rotary Director Ron Beaubien and his wife Vicki visited the
project site in October 2005. As they met Heifer Director in
Vietnam, veterinary Dr. Chau Ba Loc, they learned that the original 50
heifers have already produced 26 calves. Here they are visiting with a
young couple who are lucky to have 2 of the new calves.
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