Rural Development Associationof Yilong County

  Report on Tiger Woods Aid Project Project

October 8th, 2007

World Anti-illiteracy Organization:

According to our plan, we have initiated this project in June, 2007 and carried out the following activities.

1、Support the university students that organized by the student union to carry out social practice in rural areas, so that they could know the poor peasants’ life and society,  as well as a supporting to the rural education.

From July 16th to July 23rd in 2007, we invited 22 students from Sichuan Normal University to our association and its mutual cooperation association to carry out social practice and get to know the rural development. They entered the village to learn experiences from peasants and have taught in the village primary school for 5 days. During that time, they had an intimate understanding of peasants’ life and their economic conditions. They also went to the village’s old folk's home to help the older with corn harvest and house cleaning. Besides, they developed a united-friendship activity with 28 village primary school students and helped them learn general English knowledge to arouse their enthusiasm for English study.

Expense disbursement: Actually they had spent 904 CNY in total on transportation expenses to villages and somewhere else.

The university students came to the association to study NGO management knowledge.

The university students visited the poor rural family and bring gifts for the needy students in the rain.

2、Support to the education in the village primary school and the needy students.

(1)     In late August, 2007, the association provided 10,000 CNY for the elementary schools in 5 poor villages to service the classroom, level the playground, buy and repair desks and chairs, etc. These project disbursements are the most urgent problems after discuss among students and their parents and also teachers.

(2) From the end of August to the beginning of September in 2007, there were 17 villages’ mutual cooperation which organized the villagers to elect the most poor student through democratic discussion. They were 67 poor students in total, including 29 girls, 32 students from the disabled family and 21 orphans. Each student was awarded 200 CNY. The association had spent 13,400 CNY for this project. The students and their parents were all deeply grateful.

Provide stipend for the poor students

3、Provide rural young schoolgirls and young mothers with skill training and rural education.

The 7 town branches of the association and its village mutual cooperation in 17 poor villages have carried out effective trainings and other education projects for young schoolgirls and young mothers

(1) The purchase of training facilities

Since June, 2007, the association has purchased televisions, VCDs, books on agricultural production and medical care, etc in the 7 town branches. Each branch carried out the trainings for the villagers when they came to repay the credit in market days. (At present the majority of our clients are women) The training activities are organized by the association workers. Sometimes, to meet the demand of different seasons and special needs, we also invited some technical personnel to the branches. There were 5 to15 villagers coming for training and communication on market days in each branch. The association has already spent 4,160 CNY for 6 branches buying televisions, VCDs and VCD discs about agriculture and countryside comedy.

(2)     To cooperate with the new microfinace in more remote and poor areas like Sanhe town, Wenchang town and Dayin town, support to the training about peasants’ livelihoods, sustainable rural development and microfinace konwledge and the project mobilization.

In order to help more poor people in poor areas, the association started the microfinance project in 3 most remote and poor towns of Yilong County including Sanhe town, Wenchang town and Dayin town in June 2007.

(A)    Before June 30th, the association has completed the following 3 preparatory tasks: First, we finished the application for setting up branches in Sanhe town and Dayin town and their registrations in the local civil administration department. Second, we got the local government’s support to this project and established our institution office, settled the staff accommodation and facilities. Third, we organized a 10 –day training for the new staff. The training included the reasons for rural poverty, the concept of rural development, the participative methods of work in rural areas, the work methods of organizing and mobilizing peasants, the basic principle of the micro credit, the rules, credit policy and credit discipline of the micro credit, basic computer knowledge and the use and maintenance of the micro credit management software system, etc.

(B) On July 2nd, led by the general secretary, the association workers entered Sanhe town, WenChang town and Dayin town and started the propaganda for introducing the micro credit into village family. We organized a micro credit propaganda conference which included more than 1,000 cadres and mass commissaries from each towns, villages and teams in the local areas. At the meeting, according to local conditions, general secretary systematically analyzed the current status, the restricting reasons and the direction for rural development and the current opportunities and challenges in the rural development. He also gave a detailed lecture about the basic knowledge for rural development, the tenet and aim of the project, the meaning, purpose, policies and operation approach of the micro credit. His speaking received extensive recognition and support by the participants and evoked strong repercussions in the local communities.

(C) On July 5th, the association organized 12 workers in 6 working groups, including the director of the development department and the financial department, the director of Fuxing branch, some experienced workers and the workers of Dayin branch, Wenchang branch and Sanhe branch. The working groups went to 75 villages, 6 neighborhood committees (similar to village), 438 teams (the smallest living area, a village generally contains 7-8 teams) in Dayin town, Wenchang town, Sanhe town in turn. For a half month, they went to village and teams and engaged in propaganda and mobilization work by organizing peasants to join the community meeting and going to their home ,etc. They introduced the fund sources of the project and its use and management. They also explain detailed what benefit and help the micro credit would give to the villages. After the propaganda and mobilization, the workers in the two town visited villagers to explain the project patiently again, answer and collect villages’ questions and collect peasants’ demands and their information. More than 10,000 villagers have been trained.

(D) With our great efforts, we provided the first loan in the new developed area on July 14th. By September 30th, the three branches had provided 268 loans, including 75 loans to female. The amount of the loan disbursed was 647,600 CNY. The gross portfolio outstanding was 693,958.5 CNY; the amount of the loan interest was 5,877 CNY. (Sanhe branch 125, loans sum 296,200 CNY, interest 3,125 CNY, portfolio outstanding 247,508 CNY; Dayin branch 143, loans sum 351,400 CNY, interest 2,752 CNY, portfolio outstanding 346,450.5 CNY).The smallest loan was 200 CNY and the largest loan was 3,000 CNY and the average loan was 2,447 CNY.

The number of the loan for aquaculture production (like pig, cow, rabbit, chicken, duck, goose, etc) was 77 (Dayin 35, Sanhe 42) and it make up 45.6% of the total loan. The number of the loan for planting industry (agricultural inputs) was 43(Dayin 21, Sanhe 22) and it make up 25.4% of the total loan. The number of the loan for processing industry (such as grain, lumber, etc) was 43(Dayin 3, Sanhe 4) and it make up 4.2% of the total loan. The number of the loan for vegetable transport, grain transport, small commodities business, service industry was 42 (Dayin 26, Sanhe 16) and it account for 24.9% of the total loan.

By September 30, 2007, farmers’ on time repayment rate had been 100% and the risk was 0.

(E) In view of the poor traffic conditions and limited information in the two towns, the majority of the peasants engaged in the traditional agricultural industry and aquaculture production. They lacked technology and communions because of single work. So the association specially provided with TVs and VCDs and installed the Internet equipment in the two branches. We also organized and trained the clients who came to the branch for consultation and transaction on market days to communicate and study each other. Sometimes we would show them some discs on agricultural and aquaculture technology according to their special needs. At present, the association has organized 12 activities including trainings, communications and technology video plays in the two branches and more than 280 people enjoyed the service. The service has helped them gradually change their traditional management concepts and ways of planting and raise and study new technologies and production skills. The association didn’t only offer them loans, but also organized them to study and provide water and some other facilities for rest. Its circumspect service satisfied the villages well and promoted understanding and trust to us. The service also promoted unity among peasants so they will realize we are giving holehearted support to help them.

According to the feedback from the peasants in the last three months, our clients thought the mutual aid credit mode of the microfinance was very useful. They could easily get loans for their production. With the concern and help of the association, they could make better use of the loan. The installment of the loan allows them to be able to repay the loans on time. Currently, more and more clients come to the association to ask for help and apply for loan, so the service covered areas will become wider and wider and the demand for funds also will increase.

The expenditure of the activity is as follows:

①transportation expenses:1,942 CNY

②materials for propaganda and mobilization, cost of living, lodging expenses,etc:9,011 CNY

③training materials, cost of living, transportation expenses,etc:5,030 CNY

④house rental expenses:2,377 CNY

Total expenses:18,360 CNY

Hold mobilization meeting and          Hold mobilization meeting and project       

project trainings for village            trainings for party members and  cadres in villages and teams.

Train the new association workers        Discuss the implementation plan.

Enter village’s home to have an informal    General secretary and the local

discussion                               government officials hold the meeting to discuss the training

Thanks to the funds and other help offered by your organization, great changes have taken place in our job and great successes has achieved in our association.We will continue to carry out the poverty alleviation work in the light of the project requirements. We will do our best to make effective use of your supporting funds and keep on reporting the project progresses and providing related photos, client materials and other information.