Annual Review 2004

1st January 2005

During the past twelve months, DORS has made some substantial changes in our poverty alleviation work in Sichuan. We now have two project offices, one in Hanyuan County Yaan District and one recently opened in neighbouring Ganluo County in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, while our team has expanded from four full-time staff to six. We have completed integrated projects in four villages and have started integrated projects in a further four new villages. We have continued implementing ongoing activities in over 10 villages. This annual review covers the financial year from 01 April 2004 to 31 March 2005.

Project Progress

DORS completed the Kadoorie Charitable Foundations integrated project in five villages by implementing two final components, these were specifically targeted at the particularly poor households in four of the five villages and included fuel-efficient stove building, sty improvement, house improvements, and an improved breed livestock project. In addition, the Dawan integrated projects were completed with house rebuilding for several particularly poor households.

DORS completed a two year forestry training project funded by MRDF. This project included needs assessment and two training sessions for all villages in which DORS had previously implemented forestry components. The training was a great success. The first tier training of trainers was held at the county level while subsequent sessions were held at the village level. The villagers now have a renewed confidence in their forestry skills after the practical and classroom training sessions. In addition two villages, Maping in Yongli township and Daying in Pianma Township, began forestry projects. The planting of new varieties of saplings and the payment of guarantee and local contributions from each household ensured the saplings were well tended and the initial results are very promising for future income generation.

DORS took on a number of trainee Community Development Workers this year, some with financial assistance from Misereor and MRDF. In total DORS provided training opportunities to five individuals for periods of 3-12 months. All of these trainees intend to continue rural development work in China.

Integrated Community Development Projects

DORS completed Kadoorie funded activities (2001-2004) in five project villages, and evaluation studies showed significant improvements in livelihoods as a result of the joint activities of the communities and DORS. In April 2004 DORS began preparation for a new integrated village development project with funding from Misereor. Four new villages were selected and activities began in two of them.

Zhongpu and Baikun Villages, Lianghe Township
Early last year DORS reviewed the progress of each household in the two villages specifically to assess the involvement of and impact on the poorest households. As some were unable to participate fully in the stove and sty components we decided to provide additional support. A further set of projects was designed with a specific livestock development component to ensure that these households gained tangible benefits from DORS interventions. All these were successfully completed over the last 12 months. School attendance is now much higher than when the project began in 2001.

Teke Village, Xinshiba Township

The final project components, construction of livestock pens and sties and building of fuel efficient stoves, were completed. DORS is continuing with some school fees support for 22 children in this village, and the new school building is in use.

Chalin Village, Pianma Township

The final project components have been completed, one of which was rebuilding the school house. There are still ongoing loans for butter bean development, and support for school fees for selected children. Forestry training was carried out, and further new species have been planted.

Wanping Village, Pianma Township

DORS continued to monitor the previous components in Wanping, and have assisted some households to complete their sties and fuel efficient stoves. A number of Wanping school children were supported for a final time in 2004.

Dawan Village, Henan Township

The activities in Dawan Village have all been completed with the exception of a fuel-efficient stove project which began in late 2004. Zhang Guoping of the County Poverty Alleviation Office has been working with DORS to oversee the stove project.

Maping Village, Yongli Township

After detailed needs assessment and baseline surveys, DORS and community members formulated a village development plan for Maping. Integrated projects began in Maping with forestry, micro-credit loans to 43 women, connection of several households to the electricity grid, and road building. The MRDF funded forestry component has now been completed apart from ongoing training and replanting.

Daying Village, Pianma Township

New integrated projects began in September 2004 with the building of water storage tanks for a drinking water supply and support of some children to attend primary school. Since then, fuel efficient stove building has started and women's micro-credit loans have been made to one hamlet. A forestry project funded by MRDF was implemented during spring 05 including training and saplings planted on household plots.

Shishier Village, Pingba Township Ganluo County

The baseline study and needs assessment has been completed in this remote corner of Ganluo County. The first component of an integrated project, a community grain and fodder grinder project, was prepared.

Sanshihu Village, Pingba Township Ganluo County

The first component to be carried out in this village is sty rebuilding and repair to provide a base for livestock development in the village.

Other Project Progress

Education:

DORS conducted an education needs assessment in 2004 and is continuing to support a number of children in the current and former project villages to attend school, School fees assistance was provided for 179 children in 12 villages in spring 05 and 133 in autumn 04.

Forestry:

Continuing the forestry training project that stated in 2003, a second round of forestry training was held in Hanyuan. Those attending were local trainers identified from the 10 villages where DORS has previously implemented forestry projects as well as two new villages. Again, the participants returned to their own villages and held training sessions for the community members. DORS provided training materials for these village, and closely supervised and monitored them. New sapling varieties were supplied as an incentive to apply new forestry management skills. In addition, a new project was designed for Maping and Daying Villages. It included building water tanks for rain water collection due to their relatively dry environment and providing saplings.

Micro-credit:

During the last 12 months 264,700 RMB loans were made to 214 women in 4 villages. For some residents of Moduo these were the fifth cycle of loans, and while loans were provided for the first time in Daying and Maping villages. In addition 245,000 RMB of loan repayments was collected from a number of villages. We changed the loan terms to include a deposit for the loan, around 10% of the principal of which 50% is repaid once all members of the small group have repaid and the remaining 50% when all members in the village have repaid. In addition to women's micro-credit we also have other loan projects. Huodi Village successfully repaid 100% of loans for the development of butter beans. Chalin village borrowed for a third and possibly final time for the same purpose. A loan was made to a group of women in Chenhe for construction of a bull shed. The same group has successfully repaid loans for the bull and purchase of cattle.

Fuel-efficient stoves:

As a result of popular demand, a separate project was started by DORS in cooperation with the county PAO worker, Zhang Guoping to implement fuel-efficient stove projects in several villages. DORS is providing a part of the materials, funds and operating costs, the PAO has allowed Zhang Guoping the time to manage the project, and the villagers have the remaining costs, materials and labour. In the first phase, 200 of the total 400 stoves were planned and 139 started construction in Pingdeng, Daying, and Dawan Villages.

Animal Husbandry:

Further support was given to the livestock development projects in Zhongpu and Baikun in Ganluo (where some problems were experienced in husbandry of the new livestock), and Huodi Village in Hanyuan. DORS continued working with the poor households of the community to manage the herd and to ensure joint benefit.

Networking/Conferences

DORS staff attended a number of conferences and NGO meetings in Liangshan Prefecture and Chengdu, and Xining in Qinghai.

Staff News

In line with our strategic approach to build capacity in the rural development sector China, over the last 12 months, DORS hosted five trainees to spend some months learning practical skills and to bring their own unique experiences and perspectives to DORS. Li Caihong left in July 04, after 12 months with DORS, to work on an EU project in her native Hainan. Li Peizhong volunteered for six months and is now working for another NGO in Chengdu. Gillian Tan assisted DORS for several months over the summer. In April 04, Huang Haoran joined DORS as a trainee office administrator and now has taken over office management responsibilities. Finally in Dec 04, Yi minority women, Zhang Zhenfang, graduate of SW Minorities University, arrived to be trained as a project worker on the projects in Yi villages. In addition, there were three changes in DORS international staff, Rita Bonomally left after nearly three years as DORS office manager and project officer. Rita has now taken up a project officer position with Kadoorie in Hongkong. During her last year with DORS, Rita also completed her master's degree in development studies with partial assistance from DORS. In spring 2004 Katie Maher, from Australia, joined DORS as coordinator of the new Misereor Integrated Rural Development Program. Adam Jung joined DORS in Jan 05 to work on micro-credit and education. Long-term DORS volunteers Guo Yumei and Bai Shihai continued their service with DORS, as did Rose Acock on a part-time basis. During the last year we have seen both the highest number of staff and also the most staff changes.

Plans for 2005-06

DORS plans to continue working in the 4 new integrated rural development project villages, and will begin in a further three villages. We will also continue to monitor previous project villages and give ongoing assistance in education and micro-credit, and continue with some forestry interventions. In the forthcoming year we are planning to work more closely with the Poverty Alleviation Offices in Ganluo and Hanyuan on the village level development planning and will continue providing assistance to other local NGOs.

Donations for Projects:

DORS received donations of GBP 36,771. We received donations from Kadoorie and Misereor for the integrated village projects and MRDF for the Forestry Training and Community Development Worker training project. Other donations were received from organisations and individuals. We are extremely grateful for the support we have received to enable us to continue assisting poor villages in Sichuan. We expended GBP 49,910 on direct programme work and GBP 3,671 (7%) for project support costs .