Oct/Nov 2005

1st October 2005

Microcredit

During October microcredit repayments were collected in Maping Village. This was the first loan DORS has provided to Maping Village women, and the first loan made on a new contract requiring a guarantee collected before disbursement. The repayment rate was 100% (44 women) and DORS collected a total of 20,340 RMB and returned a total of 3,290 RMB in guarantees.
In late November Chenhe Hamlets 3 and 5 made their final repayment of the latest round of microcredit loans. DORS collected 35,463 RMB from 47hh. The repayment rate for this loan was over 90% and we expect to collect the remaining amount soon.

Integrated Rural Development Projects

Road Surfacing Project in Shiquan Village

After villagers repeatedly demonstrated their commitment to a road surfacing project DORS agreed to consider it as part of the integrated project in Shiquan. DORS project officers accompanied the county Traffic Bureau leader and engineer along the road to Shiquan to assess the cost of such a project and meet with village and township leaders to discuss ways to divide responsibilities. The Traffic Bureau agreed to provide a budget and a portion of the materials and funds, while Shiquan villagers agreed to provide labor and supply locally available gravel. After this meeting villagers developed their own rules for contribution of labor and a detailed plan for road maintenance. During October DORS met with representatives from the County Traffic Bureau, Nimei Township Government, and the Party Secretary for Shiquan Village to work out the project details and sign a contract for the surfacing of a 13 km length of road. The road will connect Shiquan Village with Nimei Township and neighboring village roads. 15,000 RMB has been given to Shiquan Village as a first installment for the cost of the preliminary work. The road will be finished by April 30, 2005.

Sheep Raising Project in Sanshihu Village

Following the completion of sheep pens during the Summer, the Sanshihu livestock development plan has reached the second stage. With DORS support Sanshihu villagers have purchased 5 ewes per household. Villagers contributed both a portion of the cost and a guarantee which will be returned after one year. The local branch of the Animal Husbandry Bureau has provided training on sheep raising, covering such topics as vaccinations, feeding during the winter, breeding and related care. The sheep project will continue with grass growing for winter fodder and finally by introducing pure bred rams into the village.

Water Supply Project in Maping Village

During October DORS completed and evaluated the water supply project in Maping Village. The water supply project consists of eleven separate gravity flow water supply systems and serves a population of 242 in 97 households. It was completed in October 2005 and DORS contribution totaled 20,285 RMB. Prior to installation villagers were required to devise a management agreement for system maintenance and with careful upkeep the water supply should last for tens of years.

Revising Plans for Integrated Development Projects

During the past two months DORS Volunteers have been holding village meetings with integrated project villages to assess the progress of the development plans and determine whether revisions would be required for the upcoming period. Most of the villages have already completed a number of project components and are now familiar with DORS participatory working methods. At this mid-point in the programme DORS has asked villagers for feedback on the components already completed and for their input on the remaining portion of the plan. This information will enable DORS to ensure the most effective use of project funds and increase villagers' ownership of the development programme.

DORS News and Information

DORS Director, Rose Acock and DORS Trustee Derek have spent the last several months working in Hanyuan. They will return to the UK during December.

In October Project Coordinator Katie Maher left DORS after completing her contract. Office Manager Huang Haoran has also left after over a year of service with DORS

Recruitment:
In October and November DORS continued a search for new volunteers. DORS is hoping to find one Administration Officer, and one Project Officer.