Christian Volker Ide's Page

Improving Access to Water

Rationale: This community has been interacting with nature and managing their water supply for many years. We want to work with them and use their knowledge of water management and traditional practices to develop sustainable water projects that will improve access to water during the dry season.

The poverty that exists in the village prevents the community from developing new projects that will bring about positive change, nevertheless there is strong will to improve the water situation in the village. We hope that through collaboration with Laotian and international organizations with expertise on sustainable water management in arid landscapes, and with the support from donors, we can find and implement solutions to the lack of water in Pak Nor.

Methodology: Establish with the community what potential there is for extraction of water from underground and from channeling water from surrounding rivers. Identify an organization who is committed to sustainable practices and respect for local customs who can implement a long-term solution to the lack of water.

Outputs: New access points for clean water; decreased waiting time at taps; drinking water and toilet facilities in the village school.

Outcomes: Improved health and sanitation, increase in time available to spend on family care and income generation, increased sense of community pride.


Cow project

Target Group

Farmers with a monthly income that ranges from 14 to 22 € .

We give preference to the following:
Poor farming families, in particular widows with children, and poor families with handicapped or a large number of children.

The objectives

1. To build capacity of a poor family by providing a supply of cows

2. To enlarge a number of profiting families by a lasting lending circulation of cows

3. To contribute to the gradual reduction of poverty and hunger by providing capacity of poor families, their income and their living standard.

4. To strengthen the ability of local authorities at district level and municipal level in a form of lasting self-help programmes.

5. To improve the veterinary care at the local authority level.


The Basic Concept

A cow is lent to the poorest families in a village.

The principle of the cow as a loan is a straightforward one. Instead of receiving a monetary amount, a poor family receives a cow as a loan. The cows concerned are ‘working and meat cows’, rather than milk cows, as milk cows are less transportable, require expensive feed and they have a higher risk of illness which can in turn increase the risk of illness in the family.

The family that receives a cow through the project becomes responsible for it, and can use it as a cow that works in the field and as a ‘fertilizer supplier’.

When the first female calf is born, the calf must be ‘paid back’ to the project, after it has been weaned from its mother. From the repayment, the loan cow becomes part of the family. The family may keep all other calves borne of the cow, thus gradually developing their own heard and with it the economic development of the family. The calf given back as repayment becomes a loan cow to another poor family.

Supporting persons are recruited in every village that takes part in the project. One person takes care of the health of cows, and another is responsible for breeding. For a small fee, they offer a consultancy service to families on caring for their cows and calves and work with the village management. These persons receive proper training to prepare them to carry out their responsibilities effectively. The families who receive a cow receive training via local courses on breeding the animals. The fees raised by the repayments of the calves cover these costs.

A Real Chance for Poor Families
The major advantage of this project is that the initial investment sustains itself and the project can be managed independently by local partners. The interest gained by the poor family that receives the cow grows steadily, without the need for the investment of further capital. Beyond purely economic gains, the family involved gains a huge sense of encouragement; families that could never have afforded a cow themselves have an opportunity to improve their standard of living bit by bit, through their own efforts and with long term positive effects.

Questions about the cow bank

1. How do you select the families who will receive a cow?

The target group is poor families with the capability of raising a cow. Preference is given to families with a widowed parent, handicapped children, or a large number of children. Having learnt from other organizations, we observe the following principle:

A meeting takes place with the leaders of the village’s Women’s and Elder’s groups and the Village Chief. During this meeting the three leaders learn about the project, discuss potential problems and the broad plan of action.

The project’s next meeting will involve the ten poorest families of Tam Quy. During the meeting we will explain the project and inform of the five cows that are available.

Every family may write 5 names, including their own, on a slip of paper which is folded and submitted. These five names represent who they feel most urgently needs a cow. All the submitted names are listed on a board so that everyone can easily see which five families are seen to be the most in need. The advantage of this method is that the entire process is transparent and all villagers are aware who most urgently needs the cow.

2. What happens if a cow dies?

This depends on the cause of death. If the owner has neglected the cow to the point that the cow dies, the owner must contribute to the value of the cow.
In other cases we will meet the owner to ascertain whether the cause of death was accident or illness. The meat is sold and the amount is deposited into the cow bank. The family whose cow died will get the next calf that is repaid to the bank.

3. What happens if a male calf is born?

Of course, 50% of the time a male calf is born. In this case the family has two options:

One is the family can wait for the second calf and hope that this is female, or Two the family sells the male calf and with the money gained buys a female calf which is then paid into the cow bank.

4. What happens if a family does not pay back the calf?

This is a difficult situation. By keeping a cow the family agrees to a contract which is co-written by the management of the district and of the village. If somebody refuses to pay back the calf, the case must be handed over to the police. In the worst case a criminal pursuit must be initiated.