Help Environmental Farming in Myanmar

The following report (unedited) was prepared by the Global Community Service Foundation Project Manager, Dung Chu, after her recent trip to Inle Lake to analyze and plan our charitable projects in that area;

We visit a worm project family. Kyu Kyu Win, 26, who was trained and provided 300 worm. She now has about 10,000 worms. She now can make 5 gallons of fertilizer liquid every 2 months’ worth 10,000ks (About $10) She started with 300 worm and doubled the quantity every month. She said this is a good project because she doesn’t need to spend much time on. Every morning, she just need to spray water, give some food such as left over, banana peel… and just change the soil every three months (spend a day).

People who buy the liquid are people who have garden in Kaylar village, where they have garden. An important thing is that the entire garden those close to each other should use the same fertilizer. The good thing is the price for worm liquid is lower than the chemical fertilizer.

We also visit Ban Pyin, the village on land that is very successful with this project.

Thein Zaw, 24, started worm breeding in July, 2011, with 350 worms. The needed materials are dry leaves such as mango leave sand  trunk of banana plant At first, he makes trunk of banana as small pieces puts the mix on the dry leaves, add water and cover with the cloth. After 25 days, it needs water. After one month, it is ready to use in the garden. He uses the worm liquid in his garden (tomato, garlic) He is more successful than using chemical fertilizer before.  He states “By using the worm liquid, the quality and quantity of vegetables are better. The growth rate of the plants is also better and no side effects.”  

He now can sell the worm liquid to other families. Most of families in the village do worm breeding themselves. This year he is more successful because the amount of worm is much bigger than the last year.

I talked to Hnin Hnin about our village; she thinks that the people in Naung Taw Lae Chay need to have better knowledge on community, on management. She agrees with the ideas of having a project mobilizer, going out to help the villagers once every week for at least 6 months. She agrees to provide one of her staff for this work. The cost is 10,000ks/day. I think the villagers who are still doing worm breeding need to form a committee to work together, commit on right quality of worm breeding, then work with the villagers who have the floating garden in other village, to come to an agreement on providing enough good quality worm liquid for their garden for all to use at the same time. If this is successful, then we will think about bigger production and packaging.

Hnin Hnin also have other training such as how to conduct a meeting, financial management, anti-corruption, team work, micro finance. I requested to her to support us in training Nway Nway. She is happy to offer. Kathy will follow up with the class schedule and send Nway Nway to have training.

Also, when we have the mobilizer, we should send Nway Nway with the mobilizer, so Nway Nway can learn. Nway Nway also agrees to breed worm after learning how to do it, so she will have the hands on experience and hopefully become a mobilizer after 6 month.

Links:

• Global Community Service Foundation