- Objectives
MSI's livestock work is focused in Zhaojue in the Yi Autonomous Region in Sichuan Province, and in Heqing County in Yunnan Province. Partnering with county government bureaus, MSI seeks to help improve the livelihood of the farming communities through:
- Poverty alleviation of the disadvantaged farming communities via a sheep/goat lending program
- Sustainable livestock production and land and pasture development and management.
- Partnerships with community health projects providing a holistic approach to upgrade livelihood, promote basic health and children's education.
- Introduction
MSI Livestock Program started in 1995 when the Zhaojue County Government in Sichuan province invited MSI to assist farmers in their livestock program. The program has now expanded to other rural areas in Sichuan and Yunnan. In Zhaojue, it is mainly a sheep lending program that has helped 308 families in the last 9 years. In Heqing, launched among the Bai minority, it is a goat lending program started in 2003 helping 29 families.
- Current Projects
In Sichuan
- Sheep lending project
- Cattle lending project
In Yunnan
- Goat lending Project
- Water Cistern Project
- Biogas Project
Goat/Sheep/Cattle Lending Projects:
Farmers are settled with a specific number of animals and a planned lend-and-return cycle. The program trains and encourages farmers to adopt sustainable land use, land stabilization and pasture development methods. It also seeks to influence farmers to use scientific methods of rearing livestock.
Training for Vets:
MMSI partners with the local county Animal Husbandry Bureaus to train young vets to tackle infectious diseases, and to provide a systematic analysis of introducing markets and marketing commodities.
- Community Development:
MSI emphasises on holistic community development work. This includes the Water Cistern Project which helps farmers to build water cisterns in order to store and provide perennial water for the community, livestock and kitchen gardening.
- Opportunities
If you have a heart to improve the Chinese farmers' livelihood, and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to do it, please come join our livestock team!
