To keep “Read to Feed” participants informed of where their donations go, they will know which projects their donations will benefit before the program launches. This way they can follow the development of our projects closely, and receive more substantial information such as the local condition, the difficulties farmers encounter, the help offered by Heifer, and how the lives of recipient families have improved.

Donations collected in the academic year 2019-20 will be allocated to our comprehensive sustainable development project in Yunnan’s Lancang County, which aims to help more than 480 rural households achieve the goal of long-term self-sustainability and a poverty-free future through cattle and tea farming.

Lancang County, Yunnan province is located at an altitude of 1,880 m, the southwestern border of China, lack of transportation, Residents belong predominantly to the Lahu ethnic group who is ethnic minority. Currently there are around 480 farming households of which over 70% live in poverty; has an annual per-capita income of below 3,500 yuan. Most villagers earn a living by pig, corn (as pig feeds) and tea farming; yet, a lack of professional skills and market knowledge resulted in unstable income and inability to improve livelihood.

• Provide at least one quality calf and training to cattle farming families, enabling them to make better income and improve living standard Assist tea farmers in improving tea varieties and purchasing processing equipment, so that they can be capable of producing quality organic tea. Also, we help to introduce modern agricultural technologies to maintain soil fertility and ensure consistent tea quality
• Guide villagers in forming and running cooperatives where they can exercise solidarity – e.g. standardize the procedure of procurement, production and sales, to get lower cost and higher income. Small-scale farmers could share the higher revenue and
• achieve the ultimate goal of community’s sustainable development in the long run
• Recipient families, after seeing major improvements in livelihood, will “pass on the gift” to more families in need, eventually benefiting the entire village
  

• HK$500 10 packs of tea seeds and agricultural training
• HK$1,000 A calf, forage seeds and agricultural training
• HK$1,500 A calf, vaccines and training in animal management
• HK$5,000 A heifer, a barn and training in animal management