Last week, the Food and Nutrition Security project’s Steering Committee and other stakeholders assembled in Thakek to review achievements of 2019. Among the participants were representatives from the project partners Humana FPP, HPA, and Khammouane Province Health Office (PHO) as well as delegates from District Health Offices (DHO), the National Nutrition Committee and Province and District Agriculture and Forestry Offices (PAFO, DAFO). The Food and Nutrition Security project is an EU-funded project reaching 100 villages in 6 districts of Khammouane Province. It aims to improve high rates of malnutrition through improving farmers' agriculture practices, communities' knowledge of nutrition, hygiene routines, and strengthening local authorities' capacities in agriculture and health.
The annual meeting was chaired by HPA's Country Director, the Deputy Director of PHO and the Deputy Director of PAFO
The delegates visited demonstration plots in Mahaxay District
The annual meeting’s schedule included a field visit to several target villages where delegates surveyed demonstration plots established by Farmers’ Clubs with support from Humana FPP. Visits to Health Centres which had been supplied with equipment and trained by HPA, and consultations with villagers were also part of the agenda. The villagers participated enthusiastically in the visit and expressed their belief in the potential of the project.
Humana FPP's Community Development Facilitator, Thimthong, in a demonstration field
The Steering Committee conducted community consultations
“We had very good and productive discussions. Everyone agreed that the activities have had a very positive impact for the disadvantaged villagers. The partners' collaboration is becoming stronger and we are working together better and better”, Gitte Hector, Humana FPP’s Program Manager says. Apart from achievements in 2019, meeting participants also discussed activities for the upcoming months. Humana FPP will hand out additional animals to farmers and install small-scale irrigation systems in selected target villages.
In the EU-funded Food and Nutrition Security project, Humana FPP is handing out 4,000 chickens and 4,000 ducks as well as 100 pigs and 150 goats. The animals are handed out to farmers under the pass-on loan scheme: Participating families commit to giving the young from their animals’ first litter to other families in their communities. These families, in turn, will do the same when their animals reproduce. In this way, the benefits of the new livestock are shared with a growing number of people over time. While initially a total of 1,700 families receive animals from the project, by the end of 2020 at least 2,500 families will benefit.
Mr Bounme Sengouthai, 59 years old, from Ban Phousaat in Khounkham District has just received chickens. He shares his experience:
“My family is big; we have seven children. I was interested in signing up for a Farmers’ Club because I like to learn in a group, and I would like to learn from the project. I am very happy now that I have received five chickens from the project. In a Farmers’ Club discussion meeting a few months ago, I asked for getting chickens, and now I have them. I trust FPP because they actually do what they say they will. I will take good care of these chickens because I will give the new chicks as pass-on loans to other families in my village in the coming months.”
As part of the EU-funded Food and Nutrition Security project, Humana FPP conducted trainings for volunteer veterinary workers in every target village. The 102 Vet Workers also received equipment kits to better support their peers in animal care and livestock management. One participant now recounts:
"My name is Mr Khampheng Phatthana. I am 58 years old, work as a farmer and live in Ban Koub in Khounkham District. I love animals and like to take care of animals very much, so I became a Veterinary Volunteer in my village. My community selected me as a volunteer because they know how much I care about our animals’ health.
In July 2019, I attended a 4-day training by Humana FPP. I learned about vaccinations and basic livestock management. Now I feel much more confident to vaccinate animals. I can now also see that many farmers in my village would like to learn more about how to take good care of their animals. They come to me and ask for advice on vaccinations and other things. I am also very happy that I received a veterinary kit from the project. I will use the kit to take care of all kinds of animals in our village, like cattle, chickens and ducks, goats and pigs."
Handing over of seeds, veterinary kits and livestock has begun in the Food and Nutrition Security project in Khammouane. Last week, villagers in Mahaxay and Nhommalath were the first to welcome their vegetable seeds, new equipment for Village Veterinary Workers and animals. Handing over ceremonies in the remaining four districts will be held in the upcoming days.
Representatives from PAFO, DAFO and HPA participated in the handing over ceremonies
102 Village Veterinary Workers received kits with medical equipment
Regarding seeds, Farmers’ Clubs have received 15 kinds of vegetable seeds for their demonstration plots, such as carrots, spinach, cauliflower, cabbage, herbs, tomatoes, eggplant, beans, and many more. In total, 121 demo plots are currently being established (1 per village). After successfully sprouting these seeds for demo plots in their nurseries, FCs will distribute excess seeds among members for their personal vegetable fields. At a later stage, fruit trees will be given to all demonstration plots also.
The distribution of veterinary kits follows on training for Village Veterinary Workers. The kits include basic medication, vaccines and other medical equipment and will enable Vet Workers to provide comprehensive livestock management support to farmers. In total, 102 kits will be handed out in all 6 districts.
Farmers' Clubs members attended the handing over ceremonies to welcome their new equipment and animals
The first animals were handed out. More will follow in the upcoming weeks
Where there is confident Village Veterinary Workers, there is also happy animals – the project includes the distribution of livestock to benefit 2,500 families by the end of 2020. Over the next weeks, 4,000 chickens, 4,000 ducks, 100 pigs and 150 goats will be handed out to 1,700 families who are FC members. Through the animal pass-on scheme, communities will be able to sustainably grow their livestock and share animals with more and more families over the years to come. Passing on means that families who receive animals commit to giving offspring from the first one or two litters to other families, and training them in how to look after the animals properly. These families, in turn, will do the same when their animals have reproduced, and so on. In this way, the animal pass-on schemes will contribute to the overall project objective of improving food security and nutrition.
As last year during the rainy season, the south of Laos was hit again by severe flooding in August and September. Khammouane was one of the affected provinces, and so were some of our target villages in the food and nutrition project. In late September, EU ECHO conducted a site visit to Bualapha, Yommalath and Mahaxay Districts to assess villagers’ needs for relief. Farmers whose crop and garden yields have been severely limited by the flood will receive additional support such as food and nutrition packages, cash transfers and livestock replacement.
The team visited District Governors' offices in Bualpha, Nhommalath and Mahaxay as well as Health Centres damaged by flooding.
Although water levels have now receded, the severity of the flooding levels can still be seen in target villages.
Our agriculture team are driving project activities forward nevertheless and can look back on some weeks full of action. For instance, all 100 target villages’ Veterinary Workers received theoretical and hands-on training in livestock management and how to provide advice to farmers on animal health and care. The Veterinary Workers were also equipped with kits including vaccines and medication. Now, they will be able to better support their peers when their animals are sick, or to prevent diseases in the first place. The trainings also served as preparation for the project’s distribution of livestock to farmers which is expected to be done next month.
Practical demonstration of vaccinating chickens
Vaccinations are crucial to keep animals healthy
In terms of vegetable growing, the farmers are trained in sustainable agriculture, vegetable production and the use of non-timber forest products (NTFP) The Farmers’ Clubs are currently preparing and establishing their demonstration plots in each of the 100 villages. Every FC will have their own demo plot in which they will trial various sustainable agriculture techniques such as integrated pest management and companion planting, test the growing of new crops, and install irrigation systems. The farmers will be able to use the demo plots as best practice examples and training grounds for their own production. The plots will be and already are a key component of Farmers’ Clubs’ trainings which are conducted on a fortnightly basis.
Farmers plan the layout and content of their demonstration plot with support from their Farming Instructor
