Living in a small, remote village, only reachable on foot and two hours away from the commune centre, life has been difficult for Nguyet (pictured above). She explains: “It’s not always easy for us to raise our children. This is a difficult area to farm. There is not much arable soil and we can hardly make enough for our family of eight, if it wasn’t for the husbandry.”
Raising goats is a new income generation activity in Cao Bang, and is suited to the local conditions. Goats here forage in the mountains, and families don’t need large food supplies to keep them.
As a mother of four children, ranging in age from 6 months to 11 years old, Nguyet was keen to find new ways to improve the household income. Borrowing VND10 million ($US500) from ChildFund`s village credit scheme, together with the money earned from selling a cow, her family have now bought 12 goats to raise.
“We have to take good care of them, which means letting them go out to eat early. In the afternoon we walk up to the mountain, about three kilometres away, to fetch them to come home,” Nguyet explains.
ChildFund decided to introduce the goat program after conducting some research in the local area. Nguyen Thi Phuong, ChildFund’s livelihood project officer, explains: “There have been two benefits to introducing this new form of agricultural activity. First, we have diversified the income generation activities for poor households. Second, goat-rearing can minimise the risks faced by households who raise chickens and pigs – those animals often get ill and die more easily. Goat rearing is proving to be a sustainable activity which guarantees an income for families.”
Making use of local resources and choosing suitable animals for husbandry is the key to initial success. After 6-12 months, goats can either reproduce, or be sold to provide income for families. Families can then invest in bigger herds, and have income to cover the costs of their children’s food, education and healthcare.
“I hope we can make enough so that we can send our children to school; to have a better education than me and their father could. We are working and trying our best to make that happen. With education, they can definitely have a better life. Even if they choose to farm, I assume they would be knowledgeable enough to know where to farm and what to do,” shares Nguyet.
Thao has been a member of the Ky Son village credit and savings scheme in Hoa Binh province since 2006. Annually, around 1,700 families participate in both the savings and credit models. Over the years, this ChildFund-supported initiative has been vital in enabling local families to expand their farming production, as well as develop small businesses.
In addition to this, Thao and members of her community have actively participated in other ChildFund-supported programs. This includes receiving training on pig and chicken rearing, and learning about new techniques for growing rice and maize.
Like many women in her village, Thao has utilised the opportunities and lessons provided by these initiatives to invest in backyard farming. This is important, as it has allowed Thao to grow and develop a sustainable livelihood for her family.
“I started with a loan of VND 800,000 (about $50). Initially, I bought one mother pig, and then I gradually invested in pig and chicken rearing. This farming has brought good benefits to our family,” Thao shared.
Thao has now taken on her seventh loan, at the value of $350. She plans to pay this back over the next 13 months. With these funds, the family has just purchased 150 newly hatched chickens to replace the mature ones.
The family also has two sows and fourteen grown pigs. Annually, the sows give birth four times. She plans to sell half of the piglets and keep raising the others. “By doing this, we have money to keep the business running in the long term,” Thao explains.
Thao adds that by investing in backyard farming, she no longer needs to worry about providing food for her family of seven, as the family`s income has increased. Her two daughters are now also studying at preschool and primary school.
“Every year, it costs me around VND 6,000,000 ($370) to pay for the children`s school fees, but it is no longer a struggle to pay this amount,” she says.
“I hope to continue to support my girls throughout their education, as by doing this, I believe they can live a better life than we do today.”
At the end of September 2015, the Ky Son village savings and credit fund was handed over to the local women`s association. ChildFund will continue to help with the running of the scheme over the next three years before the organisation does the final evaluation, and gives the community full responsibility of the fund`s management.
