Deutsche Version
last update 20 Apr 2008 [close window]	Courage e.V. This saw was bought by Mrs. Bui Thi Huong from the benefit of the previously sold pigs. is working in three communes in the central province of Vietnam; Thua Thien Hue. In the commune Huong Tho we started in 2006. The first group of 8 women got their piglets. Four of them sold nine times three fed adult pigs until now and earned a sales profit of 900 €. Step by step we increased the number of women in the project. Hitherto we supported 42 women. Only four gave up (one followed an offer for road construction work in Laos; one could not more work because of heavy sickness; one was not strong enough. Not all could earn so much money. The benefit depends on the possibility to produce the pig food in their own garden. Nevertheless, the results are really remarkable. But most of the women in this commune avoid the risk of breeding pigs. They fear the yearly flood of the river nearby. They found the rhythm of the seasons for Mrs. Le Thi Lanh in their pigsty selling adult pigs and buying new piglets. The time before the Buddhist New Year holiday, when everybody wants to buy some food and gifts for the family parties, is used by the women. They can earn higher prices in this time. About one month later they bought piglets again. In this time our representative has had to do a lot. She had to convince the women to save the money for the next set of piglets. She did a really good job as shown by the results. She and the responsible women of the Vietnamese Women’s Union in this commune play an important role in our project. Without a supervisor in the commune the project will terminate soon as other NGO-projects have shown. The Women’s Union in the commune Huong Tho officially reported about our project that in five cases the women reached domestic comfort, like TV, a new board or built a water cistern. It is not too much, but the success gave the women their self-confidence back and a higher level in the social structure of the male dominated rural population. The area of this commune was a battle field during the “American war”. Six years ago when I was the leader of a Vietnamese EOD-team, I traveled from one discovered UXO-place to the next. Le Thi Lanh underwent this battle as a teenager. Mrs. Hanh and her twins The commune Quang Thai is not so fare from Hue but it is very difficult to reach it. After training and building pig stables by themselves in December 2006 we supported 19 women with 57 piglets. Once ordered at the breeding station we must take over the piglets at a cold, windy and rainy day. Only 17 piglets remained. The owner used the chance very well. Today we have in 10 households 20 pigs. Every woman has a pregnant saw in the pigsty. It makes us hopefully for their future. The chief of the Women’s Union in the commune does not like to work with us. When I was there she said clearly to me, it is not enough benefit for herself. That’s why the general meeting of Courage decided to stop the project in this village. Our twins: Mrs. Hien brings TET gifts We want to help in other communes, where the responsible persons of the Vietnamese Women’s Union are better motivated. Poor and single women exist everywhere in Vietnam’s countryside. When Mrs. Hanh delivered her twins the father was already disappeared and neither came back nor sent some money. In our project she works successfully and has one saw and two porkers in their sty. For her daughters Courage pays the school fee. During the TET-holidays our representative, Mr. Hien delivered some gifts for the girls. Mrs. Ton Nu Thi Hien, our representative in Hue, is on control tour. We are supporting nine students. For five we only pay the yearly school fee and the school uniform. For three girls we organized a scholarship. The parents in spirit donate for “their” girl some more money, also for food and clothes. In one case we help a 16years old girl to pass the high school. Maybe we are able to help her to study in Germany. It depends on her parents in spirit here near Frankfurt. She learns very well and is class speaker. This girl believe in the Christian religion and goes into the church. We are also busy in a third commune: named Huong Ho. The local leader of the Vietnamese Women’s Union gave as a list with 40 single and poor "Our" girl in high school out fit women in this village. Poor in the Vietnamese understanding is an income less than 20 $ per month. Mrs. Hien visited woman by woman in their accommodations. made photos and sent me her decision. She wanted to support only 15 women in the first step. Her criteria were: women with children, women with a strong will and conditions for crop growing. After selection she organized training with a veterinarian teacher for selected women. The women learned a lot; also how to build a pigsty. Mrs. Hien was paying the bills for material and the women built their own sty. Last year everything was ready, but in Central Vietnam the pig disease PRRS was raging. The result: we could not get piglets. Yesterday she went to the breeding station and ordered the piglets. But now we have to pay nearly the double. She called me back and asked for the decision to buy also under these conditions. Mrs. Hien in Hannelore's clothes in the Alps mountains Some words about the visit of our representative, Mrs. Ton Nu Thi Hien, to Germany. She does in Vietnam a good job and without her engagement we never could reach such good results. It was an appreciation of her work. But we invited her private und her travel was paid by private, because we can’t use donations for it. It is against the roles of our organization. We taught her in Vietnamese language about the German financial and tax system and other for her job important spots. Members of Courage together with Mrs. Hien Otherwise it was a pleasure to watch her, when she was here; she was overwhelmed especially by the infrastructure. It was her first time out of South East Asia. She was confronted with the fast but orderly traffic on our highways. Members of Courage travelled with her to Paris. On this track ICE/TGV-trains reach 320 km/h (200 mph). The fastest train in Vietnam goes only 40 mph. She was astonished to see that we can cross country borders without any passport control and changing money. It was for her a trip in other world. And the first time in her live she met snow. In the general meeting of Courage she reported about her work. Everybody was enjoyed to meet her and to hear how she is thinking and feeling. Gerd Willkommen Head of Courage e.V.