Monday 3 November 2014

No longer cold!

Peng Rei and her brother PengZhen live in the countryside in YongShun in Hunan Province in China.  They live there together with their grandma and their mum. They belong to an ethic minority group in China called the TuJia people. They have their own traditions and culture which are a bit different from most Chinese people. Because they belong to an ethnic minority group, their parents got permission to have more than one child.
Rei (the girl) is in third grade and Zhen (the boy) is in fourth grade. Reis` favourite food is cabbage and rice, but Zhens’ favourite is definitely meat. Zhen likes Mathematics, but his sister Rei likes all the subjects at school. 
They both are happy to have a sibling, because they can play together when they have finished their homework. They both enjoy school. However, life has not always been so easy.
When Rei was newborn, their father went to the city to seasonal work. It is very common in China for farmers go to the big cities to find work for 8-11 months a year leaving their kids with grandparents (or their mother) on the farm to take care of any animals and farming. This way, the parents are able to earn enough money for the family to live on. However, since their father went to the city nine years ago, they have not heard from him. They suspect that there may have been an accident and they presume him to have died, but they are not sure. Their mother, Peng ShuiYing (36), has therefore been taking care of the children and her mother-in-law, Chen YinNan (80). It has not been easy to make ends meet. Certain periods of the year, they have not had enough food for their family and YongShun is very cold, also inside, so the winters are tough if you clothes are not warm enough. 

Last year, their mum, Peng ShuiYing, started a course in Brocading which is a part of the International Biogas Project in China. The type of brocading art she is doing is unique for their ethnic group, the TuJia people. So, when Rei and Zhen are at school and she does not need to work on the fields, their mum is now making very pretty carpets. She is able to sell these easily, and they thus have some additional income. They are not rich, but life has become a lot better than it used to be says their mum Peng ShuiYing.
“Now, I have got a new winter coat and don’t need to be cold any longer! » says Rei with a big smile on her face and shyly but proudly shows me her new pink coat. “Now, we have got pencils and notebooks and can do our homework better” says Zhen. What is the best think about mum being able to do Brocade? I ask. “The best thing is that we can eat meat!” says Zhen and smiles so that his eyes light up. In the countryside in China, many families are so poor that they cannot afford eating meat except for perhaps once a year at Chinese New Year (this is a celebration that in some ways is similar to Christmas celebrations in Europe). This was also the case for this family.  «Since mum started doing brocade, we eat meat almost 10 times a month! » says Zhen and gives me another big smile. 



Maybe you're wondering what to give as a Christmas gift to someone who already has much of what they need? Supporting a family through this project can give an entire family a better future. Find out how you can support this project here.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Art For a Better Life.

"Hi Uncle!" calls Peng ShuSan (3) as he climbs on to the loom with a cute smile on his face. The three-year old has a lot of energy and is in a good mood. It is the first time he has met a foreigner, and he says that he is excited to meet a "real foreigner".
We have been invited into the home of Mi ErMei (38) and are received with warm smiles even though it is cold in the apartment. She belongs to the Tujia ethnic group, and has recently completed a brocading course for women. This training course is part of the International Biogas Project that NMS runs in YONGSHUN, located in Hunan Province in China. The course taught her how to make traditional Tujua brocade pictures and rugs. This course gives life to an old tradition and simultaneously provides much needed income for Mi ErMei and the other women who are taking part in this course.

Mi ErMei’s husband died earlier this year. Although she is smiling, her face is marked by sorrow. The time is approaching nine o'clock at night and it is dark outside. However, her daughter, Peng Shuyi (12) is still at school where she has evening lessons. Evening lessons entails that she needs to eat at the school cafeteria, which means an additional expense. Mi ErMei knows exactly how much dinner at the cafeteria costs and although the cafeteria is very cheap, it has an impact on her tight budget. A few months ago, she did not know how she would cope financially after her husband's death. How would she be able to pay for her daughter’s schooling? The vegetables from their farm alone are not sufficient to even give the kids enough food. With the loom and her newfound skills, she is upbeat about the future. Now she can do brocade when it suits her and the rugs she makes provides a very welcome additional income.
Mi ErMei throws a ball on the cement floor of the apartment, and Peng ShuSan runs to catch it. The small apartment is sparsely decorated and there are two cheap broken suitcases and some broken toys next to the chair I'm sitting on. As I look around, I think to myself that they would get more space if they threw away these things. Then it strikes me that in Europe we often think that the poor have nothing. This is partly true - they often have very little. However, poor people in this community are also too poor to be able to throw away things that are broken or that they do not need at the moment. Being able to buy something later is a privilege of the rich. But that is obviously not what Mi ErMei is concerned about today. Right now she is very grateful because she has the loom that she has received from NMS. It helps her to be able to buy meat for her children almost every week.
Do you have something to be thankful for? Perhaps the amount of freedom you have? Or are you thankful for your safety or health? Do you want to contribute to give more freedom and security to poor women who, like Mi ErMei, who want to earn a living in a dignified way without having to worry unnecessarily about tomorrow?
This brocading course for women is part of the International Biogas project that provides biogas to poor farmers in China and Madagascar. Women have more disposable time once they have a biogas digester on their farm because they no longer need to collect wood etc. For this reason, this project started several courses in China and Madagascar which gives women an opportunity to use their newfound leisure time in a way that can improve their life and family income. This course is a brocading course for women and Mi ErMei is one of the participants. Do you want to support the International Biogas project and help to change the lives of women like Mi ErMei?

Give a donation to this project here

Tuesday 4 March 2014

Pancakes and the mountain of bachelors.

Luo LingShen (58) lives on "GuangGu'er Shan" in YONGSHUN in Hunan Province, China. GuangGu'er Shan means "the mountain of bachelors." The reason for this name is that life is tough out here. Because the tradition in China is for women to move to their husband's home and become part of his family when they marry, the name implies that life is so tough here that women don’t want to marry men from this village because they don’t want to live there.
Luo LingShen lives here with his wife Xiang Zhenying (54) and his mother (84). Their son works as a seasonal worker in a city in ZheJiang Province. They have sheep and two cows, but life on "the mountain of bachelors" is not always easy.

Luo Xiang and Zhenying LingShen are one of the many families who dream of installing biogas on their farm.

Biogas is formed when animal and human dung is converted into methane gas in a tank under the ground. This gas has no smell or smoke, and can be used for cooking and lighting. When the mixture has released its gas, it comes out as a high quality organic fertiliser. That means that LuoingShen and his family not only get gas for cooking and lighting, but also high quality organic fertilizer that increases crop yields.

In addition to increased revenue, reduced costs and more free time for poor farmers, biogas is helping to improve the status of women, health and hygiene, and protecting the environment.
Over the past five years, NMS has made it possible for over 1,000 families in YONGSHUN in Hunan to have biogas on their farms. Over the next year we want to provide biogas for several families like LuoZiPing and YuTiuanHong on "The Bachelor Mountain." Would you like to help make this possible?

Today, many Christians in the UK and other countries around the world celebrate Pancake Day by eating pancakes. The reason is that Lent starts tomorrow and making pancakes finishes up all of the last eggs in the house. Lent is a gift - a time for reflection and a simpler life. It is also traditional to give up something you enjoy during Lent. It can be anything from ice cream, sweets, coffee, meat or even meal each day. This is a golden opportunity to give the money that you save on e.g. sweets or coffee to people who are in need. That way, we can fast the way the Lord asks us to:

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness[a] will go before you,
    and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:5-8
New International Version (NIV)
How about trying to give up something that you like during Lent this year and give the money to one of NMS's great projects? Through the International f Biogas project you can help to provide biogas for farmers both in China as well as Madagascar where we seek to transfer this ingenious technology. Do you want to join in this adventure that is both helping to combat poverty, protect the environment and improve women's health? If you’re interested, you can support this project here.

Thursday 27 February 2014

Would you like to support one of our projects in China?

If you're interested in supporting one of our projects, there are several ways to do do this. If you have a British Bank Account, take a look here. If you can read Norwegian, the easiest way to support our project, is probably to click your way from here. If you have Hong Kong bank account, you can either send us a cheque made out to “Norwegian Missionary Society”. Please specify on the back of the cheque which project or general purpose you'd like to support (If you do not write anything on the cheque, the funds will still go to our work generally). Alternatively, you can transfer funds to the HSBC account of the Norwegian Missionary Society. The account number, is 031-006695-001.
If you live in another country, please make a transfer to NMS in Norway.
The bank details for NMS in Norway: IBAN: NO73 8220 02 85030 BIC/SWIFT:PLUSNO22 Bank: Sparebanken SørIBAN: NO73 8220 02 85030BIC/SWIFT:PLUSNO22Bank: Sparebanken SørIBAN: NO73 8220 02 85030BIC/SWIFT:PLUSNO22Bank: Sparebanken SørWhen you make the transfer, please specify that the donation is made to Project No. 641 000
Tel: +47 51 51 61 00 E-mail: to info(a)nms.no Postal Address:The Norwegian Mission Society P.O. Box 226 Sentrum,4001 StavangerThe Kingdom of Norway


Thank you for your support!

Sunday 16 February 2014

Dreaming of biogas

Xie LuQian ( 61 ) and Yan GanLian ( 50 ) in YONGSHUN in Hunan province in China have a dream.
They are in good physical shape, but feel that they are both old and find farming tiring as all three of their children have moved to the city. They have not yet approached retirement age by western standards, but in China they would both normally be retired long ago if they had a normal job in a city. Xie LuQian (61) has in fact already lived longer than average in the rural population of China. The average life expectancy in the countryside of China is actually under 60 years. So, it is perhaps not surprising that they feel that they are getting old.
"I would really like a biogas tank on the farm," says Xie LuQian and smiles. "It would be very nice to not have to pick twigs and wood any longer. Cooking would be so much easier" said Yan GanLian and wince slightly as she stretches a tired arm.  A biogas tank would save her many hours of work each day she explains.
Yan Gan Lian also thinks that it would be nice to get rid of all the dirt from the two cows in an easy way. It makes the farm much cleaner and hygienic.
This simple construction helps us get rid of  something we do not want (animal and human waste) and turns it into clean energy (for cooking and lighting) and free organic fertilizer of high quality that does not smell. In fact, the agricultural production in this grand country is in fact responsible for more pollution than the industry. Reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture through the use of biogas is therefore a key to improving the environment.
Many women I have spoken to about biogas are particularly excited about the prospect of having a smoke-free kitchen after getting biogas. I ask if this is important to this couple. " No no smoking in the kitchen and need to collect wood? Then I'll be healthy even though I'm old!" says Yan Gan Lian, laughing.

Mr. Xie LuQian ( 61 ) and his wife , Yan GanLian ( 50 ) dream of biogas on the farm.
  
How does the biogas tank work?
Biogas is formed when animal (or human) dung and other compost are inserted into the digester and become methane gas in the tank under the ground. This gas has no smell or smoke and can be used for cooking and lighting fires. When the mixture has released the gas, it comes out as organic fertilizer of high quality. That means
Xie LuQian and Yan GanLian not only get gas for cooking and light, but they also receive high quality organic fertilizer that increases their crop yields.

In addition, to increase revenue, reduce costs and free up time for poor farmers, biogas is helping to improve the status of women, improving health and hygiene, as well as protecting the environment.Over the past five years, NMS has made it possible for over 1,000 families in YONGSHUN in Hunan to get biogas on their farms. During this year we want to help to provide biogas for several families including Mr. Xie LuQian ( 61 ) and his wife Yan GanLian . Through the "International Biogas Project" we are able to provide biogas for farmers both in China and Madagascar.
Would you like to fulfil the dreams of Xie LuQian and Yan GanLian?  

Have you planned your vacation this year? Are you traveling by air this year? Then you can buy “Carbon Offset” from NMS while helping Xie LuQian ( 61 ) and his wife Yan GanLian and others in their village to get biogas on the farm and thus reduce poverty, protect the environment and to improve women's health.

If you’re in the UK (or if you have UK bank account), you can support the project here. If can read Norwegian, you can give one-off gift to the project here or support the project regularly here. If you live in another country and would like to support this project, please send us an e-mail and we will let you know the best way. 

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Biogas Makes Life Better!

Zhang MingGan (58) and his wife Luo Decui (56) are really happy to have received a biogas digester for their home through the International Biogas project that NMS operates YONGSHUN in Hunan Province, China.
The couple belongs to the Tujia ethnic group and has five adult children: four daughters and a son. All the children are married and working in big cities, so the couple unfortunately does not have any help on the farm. For this reason, they are very happy that they no longer need to collect wood in the forest. "It was a pain and took a lot of time," says Zhang MingGan, smiling. Now the kitchen is clean and cooking is quicker and easier Zhang says. "Now food can be made in 20 minutes! Before, the cooking often took half the day”. Now they enjoy improved hygiene and a better life, but Zhang is probably most enthusiastic about the increased yields in the years to come as a result of the organic fertilizer that comes out as a "bonus product" from the biogas tank after the methane gas has disappeared. He has noticed that the crops already are better than before. Mr Zhang is thankful that he can use the organic fertilizer from the biogas tank on his garlic, onions, cabbages, carrots and oranges.
In a simple way, MingGan Zhang’s and Luo Decui’s (56) biogas tank helps to protect the environment and makes their lives easier and better in terms of finance, time and health. In addition, the biogas digester is also very good for the environment.
How does the biogas tank work? Biogas is formed when animal (or human) dung and other compost are inserted into the digester and become methane gas in the tank under the ground. This gas has no smell or smoke and can be used for cooking and lighting fires. When the mixture has released the gas, it comes out as organic fertilizer of high quality. That means Qingxiu Zhang and Gu Zhengyi not only get gas for cooking and light, but they also receive high quality organic fertilizer that increases their crop yields.
Biogas has clearly made life better for Zhang MingGan (58) and his wife Luo Decui (56). Over the past five years, NMS has made it possible for over 1,000 families in YONGSHUN in Hunan to have biogas on their farms. Now we want to help to provide biogas for several families in YONGSHUN as well as in Madagascar where we seek to transfer the technology. Do you want to make this possible?
Did you know Chinese New Year has just passed? Many farmers in YONGSHUN dream of starting a new year that is better than last year. Would you like to give a New Year's gift that helps to combat poverty, protects the environment and improves women's health? To give an entire tank of biogas for a family in YONGSHUN costs only 100 Pounds. You can give an entire tank (or a half, or a tenth) to one of Zhang MingGan's neighbours. The amount is up to you. If you’re in the UK (or if you have UK bank account), you can support our project here. If can read Norwegian, you can give one-off gift to the project here or support the project regularly here. If you live in another country and would like to support this project, please send us an e-mail and we’ll let you know the best way.

Monday 20 January 2014

The Brilliant Flame!

Zhang Qingxiu (56) and his wife Gu Zhengyi (49) are really happy to have biogas at 
home! They have received biogas through the International Biogas project that NMS is running in their home village in YONGSHUN, China.

We are standing in their kitchen where they make the lunch ready for us while we talk. "Look how clean it is; no dust or smoke! Very different from life before we got the biogas digester! The kitchen, toilet and animal pen is much cleaner and everything is more hygienic "says Zhang Qingxiu while cutting potatoes into thin strips. They both belong to the Tujia ethnic group, a minority ethnic group in China. For the Tujia and other men in South China, it is not unusual for them to help in the kitchen, especially on special occasions, although women generally do the cooking in the everyday life.

Gu Zhengyi pours a little oil into a wok, and says "see," with a big smile before she lights the flame by turning on a switch. "Before we had to go to great lengths to gather twigs that were hard to find and we spent a lot of time on it. When we cooked, it took a long time to light a fire to cook. Now, we can just turn on a switch; and the flame is there! “says Gu Zhengyi and smiles again.
And it is this simple little flame that simultaneously heats food for this family, lights up the room at night, improves women’s health and burns away the polluting methane gas (whilst also reducing deforestation and carbon emissions as the use of wood and charcoal is no longer necessary) .
Their oldest son, Zhang Guodong (3 ) comes into the smoke free kitchen with his ten month-old daughter ZhangWenXu in his arms. Zhang Guodong and his wife Huo Fang (28) live and work in Shanghai but they have come home to celebrate Chinese New Year with their family, as is the tradition.

For Chinese New Year, people traditionally eat a lot of food, especially food that they would not usually have. "This year we have a lot of delicious food to celebrate with- we have had a bigger harvest than ever before," says Zhang Qingxiu, pointing to large sacks of potatoes. But potatoes are not the only crops that have had a good year because of the high quality organic fertilizer that comes out of the biogas tank after methane gas is evaporated. All of the crops they grow on the farm have had a good harvest: peanuts, corn, sweet potatoes, and yellow beans. "What are you most looking forward to eating for New Year?”I ask Zhang Guodong. "These!" he says, pointing to a chicken walking around the yard pecking at a dry corn grain on the ground.

Biogas has clearly made ​​life better for Qingxiu Zhang and Gu Zhengyi. Over the past five years, NMS has made it possible for over 1,000 families in YONGSHUN in Hunan to get biogas on their farms. Now we want to help to provide biogas for several families in YONGSHUN as well as in Madagascar where we seek to transfer the technology. Do you want to make this possible? You can give a gift to this project here. Have you planned your vacation yet this year? Are you traveling by air? If so, you can make your flights “greener" by buying Carbon Offsets from NMS while enabling farmers in YongShun to get biogas on her farm, thus reducing poverty, protecting the environment and improving women's health. You can buy carbon offsets from this project. For an international flight, we recommend a donation of 30 British Pounds. You can make a donation here.
 
How do the biogas tanks work? Biogas is formed when animal or human dung and other forms of compost are inserted into a pipe and become methane gas in a tank under the ground. This gas has no smell or smoke, and can be used for cooking and lighting. When the mixture has released the gas, it comes out as a high quality organic fertilizer. This means that Qingxiu Zhang and Gu Zhengyi not only get gas for cooking and lighting, they also get good organic fertilizer that increases crop yields.

In addition to increasing revenue, reducing farming costs and freeing up time for poor farmers, biogas is helping to improve the status of women, improving health and hygiene, as well as protecting the environment.