December 2010

Dear friends,

Much has happened this past year and some of the highlights we want to share with you in this letter.

Farmers loans bank....
Although today’s situation in rural Kazakhstan may not be as poignant as it was in the poorer parts of rural Germany during Raiffeisen’s days, there are many parallels. After a more or less equal distribution of wealth – or poverty rather – under the communist system, differences escalated after the fall of communism and many a farmer is now at the mercy of present-day usurers. For this very reason Agrinas has set up a Micro Credit Organisation (MCO) in the province of Kyzylorda. This organisation offers farmers and small entrepreneurs the opportunity to take a loan to purchase seed, fertiliser or other inputs or to pay for land rent or land cultivations. After the harvest farmers return their loans. As the MCO charges modest interest rates, often this is the only way for farmers to avoid ending up in a debt spiral. This past season was a good year, both for the farmers and for the MCO: 100% of the outstanding credits were paid back. Early in the season the credits were so much in demand, that Agrinas Holland supplied a loan to the MCO enabling them to meet the demand. This loan could also be paid back without any delay. What is so encouraging about all this, is that not only are farmers helped, but the MCO itself has been able to close off its books with a modest profit during the past two years, which enabled them to function without any help from outside.

More news from Kazakhstan
The kindergarten drinking water project in the village of Baygekhum was successfully rounded off, as was the project in Colotubay. The Bukarby Batur water project shows steady progress. Raising the awareness among rural women on topics like nutrition, health and hygiene was well received in 6 villages with a total of 355 participants, twice the number expected.

Mike and Liesa Buren together with their children returned to the US in September after having spent more than 9 years in Kyzylorda. It is quite an adjustment fort hem. Usen, one of the MCO’s staff, and his wife Gulshat received a baby daughter and Zhassulan and his wife Zhaksagul are expecting their second child. On 31 October Lyuba was engaged to Kolya.

Morocco
It has been a turbulent year for our people in Morocco. The drip irrigation project in Khenifra, although very successful, had to be abandoned quite suddenly due to the refusal to issue a visa to the expatriate project leader. This was part of a wave of foreign workers who underwent the same fate. Fortunately the El Hajeb project could continue. Here the focus is on drinking water. In January a used four wheel drive vehicle could be imported and as a result the villages that are situated far from the main roads can now be reached.

Bosnië
In April the ongoing programme was evaluated by a Dutch consultant who lives in Croatia. The evaluation was successfully rounded off and offered new insights and ideas about the future. Based on this evaluation a new strategic plan has been put together for the next 5 years. Now potential donors who can finance the programme are approached locally. It is expected that the work will be expanded to a new district.

After a cumbersome process Agrinas Bosnia is now registered as a local development organisation. Consequently the name had to be changed in “Fondacija Most” which means the Bridge.

A new donor organisation, NCDO, a programme providing subsidies as part of the Dutch Ministry of Development Co-operation, has provided a grant of € 15,000. This money will enable scheduled activities yet to be implemented.

With the support of Agrinas a platform of farmers’ associations has been established, called SLUP. This platform has grown into a professional organisation through the help of Agrinas. They render services to affiliated farmers’ associations and are involved with lobbying activities serving local farmers. Also organisations similar to SLUP from seven of the eight districts (of which Sanski Most is one) have united into an overall organisation called SOUP at a provincial level with its office in Sanski Most. We see a lot of potential for such farmers’ organisations at the provincial level.

China
Marc and his cheese project have been extensively covered by the Chinese television. It is all in Chinese, but the images speak for themselves. Cheese sales have soared this past year and the company shows a healthy growth.

Peru
The family Van Nierop, who are still living and working in the Netherlands, intend to set up projects in Peru and have asked Agrinas for assistance in the process. In September next year they want to move to Peru, where they want to be active among the Indians living in the mountains.

Farmers’ platform
As a related activity Agrinas is involved in doing a survey together with a trainee from the Dronten Agricultural College on a number of farms in the Netherlands. The main objective is to find out how the sustainability of family farms could be improved and how co-operation between farmers could be promoted. This month the trainee, Sanne van de Kamp, will round off her survey of the related farms which will be followed by presenting her findings early next year.

Shopping for Agrinas
In the framework of Corporate Social Responsibility, in Holland several web shops donate part of their turnover to charities in general and Agrinas in particular. Through this letter we want to bring some of these to your attention. If you would decide to do your Christmas purchases through them, you can indicate that you want part of the proceeds to go to Agrinas, which we would greatly appreciate!

For more information: http://www.agrinas.org/en/giving/csr.html. You can also donate directly through our website to Agrinas, specific projects or staff workers.

We want to use this opportunity to wish you a meaningful Christmas and a blessed 2011!

The Agrinas team