Oxfam Rice Event 2019 - Training, participation, mutual aid: A farmer’s first steps towards escaping poverty - Our Events - Get Involved - Oxfam Hong Kong
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Oxfam Rice Event 2019 - Training, participation, mutual aid: A farmer’s first steps towards escaping poverty

樂施米義賣大行動

Training, participation, mutual aid: A farmer’s first steps towards escaping poverty

龍學光、妻子龍忠會(揹著幼子)到田裡耕作。

Long Xueguang and his wife Long Zonghui (carrying their son) working in their field.

Long Xueguang clearly embodies the spirit of the Chinese proverb ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’

Xueguang, 37, and his wife Zonghui have two children; their family of four live in Wu Maode Village in Zhong Ping Town. In the village, which sits at a high altitude, villagers are only able to grow corn, potatoes and wheat as a staple food. With the lack of land, more advanced technology and skills, it has been difficult to boost agricultural productivity.

In 2016, through an Oxfam programme, Xueguang’s family received agricultural training and learnt how to use new technologies. By growing their crops organically and with organic fertilisers, they have been able to plant high-quality and diversified crops, which has changed their lives tremendously. When we visited them, Xueguang told us with a bright smile: ‘In the past, we were only able to grow 800 kg of potatoes per harvest, but with the training, microcredit, organic fertiliser and seeds we got from Oxfam, we can grow up to three times as much! With a more stable income, we’ve seen our lives improve – we can now afford to send our children to school and see a doctor if any of us fall sick.’

龍學光透過有機耕種及肥料,種植高質量的馬鈴薯

Long Xueguang grows high-quality potatoes using organic farming methods and fertilisers.

Like Xueguang, the villagers of Wu Maode Village participated in the Oxfam project and have seen their livelihoods improve, which has helped the entire community develop too. In the past, the roads leading into the village could only be used during spring and winter; during monsoon season, the uneven and muddy roads were a nightmare. This not only affected farmers’ daily lives but also meant they couldn’t sell their crops at the market. However, after Oxfam helped construct roads, farmers’ lives and livelihoods improved drastically. Further, with the agricultural training they received, farmers have learnt that knowledge can empower their community to overcome poverty. That is why they now place greater emphasis on their children's education.

Women’s participation is crucial to Oxfam’s projects. In the past, women’s contributions were limited to housework and farming. Now, in response to the demands of the microfinance and project management teams, women must directly participate in the decision-making process and help oversee the village management team. In fact, sometimes even more women attend meetings than men. This is a far cry from past meetings where the men would discuss issues and drink water, while the women were responsible for boiling water. A male villager told us: ‘Now women in the village are more capable and more confident. They not only speak more than before, but they also joke with us!’

 

婦女積極參與村內的會議

Women actively participating in a village meeting.

Xueguang and Wu Maode Village are just a couple of success stories in the fight against poverty, but there are still countless poor communities that need your support. Oxfam hopes to continue working with smallholder farmers to take steps towards escaping poverty.

To bring about greater change in the lives of smallholder farmers, simply purchase Oxfam Rice by filling in the order form that has been attached. The power to bring about change is in your hands.