Pac Nam district Project – Phase 1

Target Groups

Direct beneficiaries:

• 155 key community members including capable villagers, village heads, village women's unions, in the 4 target communes (Boe Bo, Giao Hieu, Cong Bang and Cao Tan) with nearly 100% of ethnic minoritv.
• Inhabitants in 22 villages in 4 project communes with majority of
• ethnic poor villagers directly benefiting from capacity building, small-scale infrastructure and livelihoods (6.500 people living in 1.200 households)
• Students of 2 secondary schools in Boe Bo and Cong Bang communes
• 19 local authorities including provincial, district and communal officials, women's union leaders and 40 teachers, who participate in trainings monitoring, and evaluation.

Indirect beneficiaries:

• Approximately 13,900 people of the 4 project communes.

 

Project Goal:

The quality of life of poor ethnic communities in Bae Kan province is improved in a sustainable manner.

 

Project Objective:

Objective 1:

The living conditions of poor ethnic minorities in 22 project villages are improved through employing community management (CM) related to small-scale infrastructure and environmental-friendly livelihood development.

Objective 2:

The nutrition intake of students of two secondary schools is improved due to students' strengthened knowledge and application on environmentally friendly vegetable cultivation.

 

Indicators of the objective:

Indicator 1.1:

By the end of the project, 170 households of poor ethnic minorities in the project villages cultivate a second crop thanks to irrigation water schemes (at least 50% are females).

Indicator 1.2:

By the end of the project, at least 3 environmental-friendly livelihood models (e.g., plum/tangerine and vegetable cultivation and local black pig raising) are developed and started by local farmers of the ethnic minority (at least 50% are females).

Indicator 1.3:

By the end of the project, the average income of at least 250 Farmers' interest group members (60% members are female), is increased by 12% through environmental-friendly livelihoods.

Indicator 2.1:

By the end of the project, 240 students have chemical-free vegetables for lunch supplied from two newly established school gardens.

Main project activities

1. Project introductory workshops at district, communal and village levels to introduce main project contents and CM approach.
2. Village meetings to create village profiles, identify local resources, and conduct SWOT analysis in participatory way. Dialogues between local people and authorities to discuss local development problems and possible solutions.
3. Village thematic meetings on policies/laws relating to community like sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, gender equality, cooperatives, etc. organized in collaboration with experts on related topics.
4. Trainings for key community members and local authorities on CM related topics.
5. Village meetings to set up Farmer’s Interest Groups – FIGs and conduct market research and share research results.
6. Capacity building for FIGs' members including FIGs' operation and bookkeeping; Technical trainings on chemical-free cultivation and animal raising; Trainings on production and business plans, marketing and sales, processing and packaging.
7. Facilitation of FIG's peer learning including sample regular meetings; exchange visits between members of FIGs; regional study tours to successful sustainable agriculture models; participating in agriculture fair at province / district level.
8. Village meetings to identify and prioritize community's development challenges focusing on improvement of village small infrastructure, and development of environmental-friendly livelihoods for income generation, which will be implemented by CBGs and FIGs. Project initiatives addressing selected problems will be submitted for approval in community meetings based on urgency, beneficiaries, required financial support, gender sensitivity.
9. Implementation of 120 approved small-scale projects by CBGs and FIGs.
10. Sample village meetings to evaluate small-scale projects' results and workshops at communal level for sharing good practices.
11. CM approach promotion via DWC Website/Facebook, provincial and district media; Sharing workshop at district level combined with field visit to discuss opportunities of applying/replicating CM in government programs.
12. Project introductory workshops at 2 schools; set up teams of elected key students (50% girls); Training on facilitation, communication skills and teamwork for key students.
13. School forums and thematic meetings, and provision of book/materials aiming at raising awareness of school students on the importance of sustainable agriculture in relation to health and environment.
14. Technical and financial support to establish 2 school vegetable/medicinal plants gardens and improve school area with greenery. Planning workshop for maintenance and development of the 2 school gardens.
15. Exchange visits between 2 schools with participation of teachers and students from other schools, and school garden visits for parents. Teachers of the 2 schools will accompany their students through all project activities…

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