As many locals in the region rely on their farming for food and income, it has been crucial for Save the Children’s CBA project to support the implementation of geographically suitable alternative livelihood models and increase villagers’ knowledge of locally relevant adaptive farming and animal rearing techniques. This approach lays the foundation for sustainable adaptation that builds resilience in the community and opens up opportunities for the diversification of livelihood methods, which may reduce exposure to risk and market volatility.

Nguyen Xuan Thong lives in Thang Binh district of Quang Nam with his wife and five children. His youngest is 11 and attending school. Another of his children has a disability and must stay at home. To support his family Thong has been farming rice and raising pigs with limited success. He finds it difficult to keep his pigs healthy and gaining weight in light of the severity of the weather in his province.

When Thong’s son participated in the project’s climate change resilience activities at school he passed on the information he was learning to his family. The knowledge and understanding Thong gained about how climate change can contribute to certain diseases and the factors that can affect the health of his family and community compelled him to register for the new livelihood models project running in his community.

In addition to receiving one sow and 50 percent of the costs to build a pig pen, Thong and his wife also attended training sessions with staff from the Agriculture Extension Centre and other villagers. In these sessions they learned techniques to ensure their pigs could thrive despite the changing weather. These included building the pig pen with sloping floors and north- or south-facing to avoid cross breezes; the separation of the piglets from their mother; adding a light to warm piglets; cutting down sharp teeth; and the neutering of male pigs when they are five days old, which allows them to grow faster. This training has all contributed to the increased wellbeing of Thong’s livestock, so that they are healthier, reach maturation and can be sold for meat at a good price.

Thong learned the techniques and building requirements that enabled him to use his pig waste to produce biogas – a sustainable energy source – through the installation of a biogas digester. Each day his pigs produce five to six hours’ worth of gas, which has saved the family time and money as well as saving countless trees because Thong no longer needs to go to the forest and cut down trees for firewood.

As a result of the family’s achievements, three other families have replicated the model utilising their own means. To ensure that his neighbours have accurately set-up their new waste treatment centre and pig pens, Thong regularly visits to check out their work, communicate his expertise and share experiences and lessons learned.

When asked whether he would prefer to be given additional technical trainings or another sow, Thong explained that he would favour the skill-set training as he finds this to be far more useful to his family both now and into the future.
Through training local villagers with the skills required to adapt to climate change in a locally-relevant way, the members of this community are being introduced to skill development, livelihood diversification and strengthening of existing livelihoods ensuring they are more sustainable and cost effective, and that they can increase income, inspire confidence and encourage community ownership to achieve resilience.

Save the Children

Some pictures:

The main purpose of the model is the application of appropriate farming techniques (determine the appropriate calendar, use good varieties and take care by suitable techniques) to promote rice to grow well in the seedling stage to avoid cold and frost in the flowering stage. It helps increase rice yield in the winter-spring crop. The project has supported the farmers with agricultural materials, training and technical guidance. During the four months of implementation, knowledge on seed selection, calendar determination, weeding, caring, watering, detection and effective disease prevention has been supported continuously.

Despite facing many difficulties in the process of implementing the model, e.g., prolonged cold and frost, people are not familiar with technical application in rice cultivation. Methods of growing rice adapting to climate change has been too difficult to understand for the locals. However, good organization, management and implementation mobilized the active participation of people who now understand and comply with the requirements of the project to minimize the risk of the adverse weather conditions.

After four months of implementation, people know how to classify and use varieties, to keep varieties, weed, feed fertilizer properly and use irrigation water efficiently, and the work of combating rats has also been transferred successfully. Mr. Pham Van Dot, team leader of the model told us, “The model helped us understand the effectiveness of technical application in rice cultivation. Applying techniques brought the real effectiveness beyond our expectations. Rice yields were estimated at 2.5-3 quintal per sao”, he added “Application of new varieties (KD18) brought out higher yields by 50-60% compared to the old ones, strong and healthy rice resistance to pests and diseases. The proper use of irrigation water is more effective during droughts and increased the efficiency of fertilizer. Application of nylon prevented the disturbance of rats better than before”. According to Mr. Pham Van Kem, head village of Con Ro, the model showed new or good ideas compared to the previous thinking. The previous models only cared about productivity and pay less attention to prevention techniques under the adverse weather conditions. He said, “people following the model learned that their paddy fields have less grass and diseases and they no longer worry about the disturbance of rats and gain more rice, …”

During the coordination and direction during the implementation of the model, project officers and local officers learned valuable lessons in directing and guiding the implementation of production activities. According to Mrs. Le Thi Tram, vice president of Ba Bich CPC, the enthusiastic and responsible support of project officers not only helped households who implemented the model grow rice well but also improves qualifications and technical transfer method of communal agriculture officers in the context of adverse weather and climate change. Mrs. Tram recommends that the project continue to support the summer-autumn crop so that other people in other villages also can benefit.

After overcoming the initial difficulties, the results obtained from the model are very good. Villagers and local authorities are happy that the project had appropriate approach methods and brought high efficiency to rice production in their locality. On behalf of beneficiaries, Mr. Pham Van Dot emotionally gives thanks for the help of Plan International, Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam and authorities at all levels for facilitating his group to have such a good harvest as today. Mr. Dot as well as the group commit to continue sharing knowledge and experience in the process of implementing the model with other people in the community and expects that the project will continue providing technical assistance in the next crop to the group and people not currently received the benefits.

Not only the model in Ba Bich commune but also other models in Ba Dinh, Ba To and Ba Xa communes have achieved good results and people also have the same comments and thoughts as Ba Bich commune. With this initial success, it is hopefully that people and local authorities will continue to maintain, share and replicate the project achievements to other households in the villages and communes. Groups of households directly implementing the model in Winter-Spring crop will be the important nucleus for other people to visit and learn. From that, the activity of growing rice in this locality is increasingly effective and adapts well to the context of climate change.

Do Cao Anh and Phan Cong Tam
Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam

Some pictures of harvesting rice models

Duy Tan commune is not far from My Son Sanctuary – a world cultural heritage site about 5km to the north that lies on the southern bank of Thu Bon river with many types of war damage. The commune was densely filled by many memorial sites. The commune had a total population of only 6000 but had 1500 soldiers killed in action and 129 Vietnam heroic mothers. From the past to now, this area has considered agriculture to be the key sector as the others are relatively less developed.

Like many residents in Quang land, Mr. Vo Dinh Trung (living at Thu Bon Tay village, Duy Tan commune, Duy Xuyen district) was born in the period of divided nation, dedicated with their youthful enthusiasm to the national liberation and reunification. Surviving in the war and coming back to the motherland, he was seriously wounded, having lost his leg at the battlefield and suffered many injures.

Mr. Trung is always hauntingly worried about how to improve his family’s standard of living and raise his children when his beloved wife was required to be the breadwinner. While the area along Thu Bon river has experienced vulnerabilities due to climate change, increasing floods and droughts, abnormal changes of climate as the previous pasturing is no longer adequate due to being at high risk of epidemics.

Approaching the technique
Identification of raising chicken is a popular activity, suitable for most types of rural households, especially the poor households because of low investment and easy to consume products. The project “Child-centered climate change adaptation” surveyed and developed the model “backyard native chicken adapting to climate change” in Quang Nam province.

On April 2014, the project meeting introduced its objectives and household selection criteria reached Duy Tan commune. This was the first time Mr. Trung heard about the strange concept of climate change and raising chickens adapted to climate change. But then, with the determination of constant desire to reduce the burden on his beloved, and to make “the leg disability not disable”, he registered to implement the raising chicken model of the project.

A few weeks later, a project officer came to his house to survey and evaluate his family’s capacity. To be chosen for funding for developing the model, he was supported with 50 chickens, some kinds of food, means to take care for and some materials for building a coop. Most importantly, Mr. Trung was trained and guided in the techniques for building coop, selecting the breeding, and raising chickens in accordance to adapting to climate change.

We visited his family on an early summer day after a flood earlier in the month with the outdoor temperature of 39-400C. Standing under the shady and fresh frames of gourds and Thiên Lý flower (Telosma cordata) with many coconut leaves, Mr. Trung said that “Thanks to the front playground system, the coop surrounded by 2m high fence of bamboo with B40 aerated net; vines planted on the top so it could be protected against the heat in summer, hot weather, and supply daily vegetables and fruits. This frame system helps chickens have a cool playground in harsh summer days and increase feed intake and achieve better growth. Vines frame plays a role as green food supply with additional natural vitamin and cellulose for chicken”.

In addition to completing the building coop process under the guidance of the project consultant, Mr. Trung also vaccinated with vaccine, disinfected the coop to ensure chicken agile, healthy and shiny feathers… thus its vital resistant and resistant to abnormal changes of weather are very good. On sunny days, he feeds chicken with vitamin C. He also collects waste and treats it by microbial enzymes to reduce odors and bacteria.

First season of sweet fruit
Previously, Mr. Trung’s family raised pastured chickens which themselves dig to find food. The rate of chicken deaths ranged from 30-40%, and only a few survived. Since application of the model, rate of death is very low, about 5-10%. Only after three-month raising, his chicken flock was averaging 1.5-2kg in weight, less disease with the survival rate up to 90%, rapid growth, and delicious chicken meat compared to grazing Ri chicken. From the first breeding, now his flock has divided into 3 ages including baby chick, cockerel and reproduction chicken. Until the time we visited, his flock had produced more than 200 eggs and provided two households with food , one of whom is the purchasing household.

From practical experience and lessons-learned from raising chickens, Mr. Trung concluded that “This model was being learned by many people living in the commune. In my opinion, the most important step to achieving good results was to comply with the technical requirements. Yet, during the implementation process, some households had ignored the process, had not built strong coops in accordance to the design so it resulted in low efficiency. Although this is only the “first season of sweet fruit” but in my point of view, this model could be fully replicated”.

Chicken growing well

Mr. Trung feeds chicken in the cool net house

Mr. Trung is thrilled to receive an image-gift from the representative of Save the Children in Vietnam

Bao Hoa
Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam (CRD)

Mrs. Ret talking about the support of Plan project

In 2012, project Child-Centered Climate Change Adaptation supported by Plan Vietnam was carried out in 4 communes of Ba To district, including Ba Dinh commune. This is the first time that the local government and officers guided them about how to build climate change adaption sheds. They shared and showed successful pilot sheds to local people and made them feel confident to implement.

Clean, fresh shed good for buffalos growing well

Being the poor family, after seeing the benefits of building sheds in March 2014, Mrs. Ret’s family was supported for 50% of project cost of the second phase for pilot implementation. She was excited and voluntarily contributed trees and labor force up to 1,3 million VND to build pillars. Other materials like iron, nails, cement and workers, etc., were supported by the project. Her shed was built according to the technical standards, solid, wide and sturdy. Her cattle still grew well during the long-term drought in Ba Dinh. She talked happily that the best thing she likes is that the shed has a trough for feeding and storage of food. Now, she just needs to cut grass for cattle for the whole day and then goes to work to earn more income.

Mrs. Ret like the trough the most

People knew that Mrs. Ret had to earn income and support two small children to go to school, but she only has two sao of land so her children and she were sometimes hungry. Moreover, in recent years, she, like many families in this commune, had poor crop yields. Now, thanks to Plan Project, two buffalos grow well while she does not need to spend too much time caring for them. “During the great drought, Ba Dinh people this year are prone to hunger.” She hopes to be funded to implement pilot growing paddy rice fields adapting to climate change. While she talked, she looked at the shed happily and hopefully with sparkling eyes.

Bao Hoa

Continuous floods, storms or drought, etc. are visible consequences in the Central region with harsh climatic conditions, and now are more unpredictable in the context of climate change. Climate change is no longer a matter of interest for the scientists in a conference, and/or politicians in a meeting; it is also the case of the community. People often talk about the abnormal changes of weather. Farmers  could not survive when paddy fields are dying due to dried up rivers, buffalos suffer from hunger caused by lack of grass under the stress of extreme cold and disease, etc… Farmers of Ba Ta commune, Quang Ngai district are not the exception case. They have tried their best to cope with the warnings about the “cruel” nature to be coming true. The future of children needs to be protected starting now before it is too late for action. In line with the vulnerable groups, Climate Change Adaptation Program in 2012 has identified children as key vulnerable persons to kick off the project funded by Plan in Vietnam in Ba To district, Quang Ngai province. Accordingly, the four communes of Ba To, Ba Dinh, Ba Bich and Ba Xa are beneficiaries.

“Previously, we know nothing about climate change since the project has not come yet. Cattle were grazed freely around the mountain, streams and then died in the cold of winter, or disease in summer… They are frequently at high risks. Now it changes”, Mr. Rung said while leading us around the commune. He introduced his group of ten members. Till now, they have built a total of 47 sheds both phase 1 and 2. Before the project, Mr. Rung and his team did not know how to read drawings and often went into forests, hired labor for peeling barks … with unstable income in the days without work. After being trained by the Plan project, particularly under the training and hands-on work carried out by the staff of the Center for Rural Development in Central Vietnam, he is now able to train his team as well as whoever want to learn. More importantly, the project has improved their income to spend for their living.  He also explained in detail the different technical aspects between the project’s shed to cope with climate change and with the normal one. In the past, they often called pigs to come back when they want to feed them. But now, they feed them by feeders and water troughs. This helps them save time and labor to call and guide the pigs to come back, and to bring food to go out and in and not to be afraid of their pigs getting lost. Moreover, the shed could be beneficial against the effects of hot weather and takes advantage of storage of farm equipments such as harrows, plows, hoes.

Piggeries are mainly built supported by solid concrete pillars, covered by shields in its front and back that could be dropped down when it rains or pulled up when the sunshine. Its roof is nailed solidly, tied by wire and covered by tires against the winds, tornados and storms. In particular, according to Mr. “Rung, the foreman”, thanks to a pit, the pollution situation due to odor emissions was substantially reduced. And people no longer have disputes caused by unmanaged discharge of manure. Through the actual construction, with the heart of the foreman, Mr. Rung said that many people in Ba Xa commune hope to be supported to build sheds longer, further and more extensive. “Being called the foreman is so happy but it is a very hard responsibility. When everything is okay, it is good but when a few people slowly contribute the trees, or man-days, the construction process would be slow and I have to come to their homes to mobilize and persuade them until they understand to cooperate”. He smiled gently.

Bao Hoa

Mr. On was haunted by hunger season during his childhood due to … the heaven

In 2012, when project “Enhance children-based adaptation to climate change” was firstly funded by Viet Nam Plan International for the four communes of Ba To district, Mr. On, like many other residents in Ba Dinh commune, was very happy when his commune was one of the among beneficiaries together with the other three communes of Ba Bich, Ba To and Ba Xa.

Happy when knowing that Ba Dinh is one of the beneficiaries

Vietnam Plan International evokes the hope and enthusiasm

After that, Ba To district has carried out assessment, training, mobilization of building climate change adaptation models for pigs and cattle. Following, the steering committee of climate change project has been formed to focus the work of directing, guiding people to implement the project. Mr. On was entrusted to act as the head of Climate Change Management Board at Ba Dinh commune due to his enthusiasm and responsibilities as a vice president of People’s Council. Initially, Mr. On was a little bit surprise and confused because he has not known where to start. But after just over 3 months of working with project managers at the locality, Mr. On could do his role completely. He remembered that “Every time the commune organizes a meeting to select the poor and near-poor households, the most difficult thing is mobilizing enough number of participating households”. As the leader of the commune and on behalf of the government to work with the project, Mr.On is always worried “How to select the right households, and do not miss the family that deserves to benefit?  How to select and identify who absolutely wants to build sheds?”

Mr. On is always hauntingly worried about how to identify households deserving support

Since not knowing where to start, so far the project has passed the second phase with families to be replicated. Thirty (30) sheds for buffalos and pigs to be built and approved are the results of the long process of both learning and management. Mr. On was patient to go and explore their feelings and aspirations. He reached out to the beneficiaries to explain to them about the benefits and significance of the contribution of families in Plan-supported projects. According to Mr. On, some households only rely on the project; they should receive more and more explanation until they understand well. Some of them do not fully contribute, and/or just contribute small trees or not good trees, etc… but they voluntarily change their minds  when listening to his sharing.

Piggery adapting to climate change helps pigs and cattle have less disease

Mr. On remembered the period of 2009-2010 when the foot and mouth epidemic caused lots of pigs to die in Ba Dinh commune. Households like Pham Van Sinh (Lang Mang village) and Pham Van Rom (Nuoc Lang village)… are just a few examples of outbreak damage. Climate change adaptation sheds helps pigs and cattle have less disease and good growth due to food storage. During rainy season, people are no longer worried about moving cattle to shelters because they could develop reliably solid pillars, carefully tired roof. “Myself, work is voluntary. Monthly salary is not enough to refuel but I dare not allow myself to be disengaged because my residents are still poor and suffer from risks of climate change”. Saying so but he still rides on his poor bike to go up the hills and streams day by day to reach every mountain hamlet and village, and every house to check and promote the work of the project.

Bao Hoa

Wanting to do something to contribute to the increase of income for my family, I decided to register to join the Chicken Farming model for disease prevention in my province. The longer hot season and increased rain in the wet season is presenting unexpected challenges of disease in livestock and harsh impacts on agriculture in our community.

Initially the project delivered 50 chicks, 50% of their food, materials to build the cage and tools to care for the chicks.

We also had two technical training sessions where we learned the correct way to raise, care for and feed the chickens, manage disease and make a suitable cage that is adaptable to the harsh conditions of climate trends in recent years. For example:

Feeding chickens again in the evening will help them grow rapidly.

After 3 months of applying the new techniques our chickens are disease-free and well-developed, weighing from 1,5-2,5kg.

My wife and I decided to keep a few roosters for breeding, the rest we will sell at the market for approximately 90,000VND / kg, so we can buy more baby chickens and continue breeding.

-Mr. Le Dinh Trung of Quang Nam Province, a participant in the chicken breeding adapted to climate change model of the ”Child-centre resilience project” implemented by Save the Children and Agriculture Extension Centre