Hi,

The following appears on the site of Ockenden International, as part of their activities in Cambodia, through this link :

http://www.ockenden.org.uk/page.php?ref=template22

Quote -

Cow Banks - what are they?

Raising a cow is one of the most simple and popular ways for a rural community to increase its income. The problem, however, is that these communities are often so poor that they cannot afford to buy livestock.

A Cow Bank is a means to loan money and provide training, so that a local community can use cows in their fields.

Cows are often more reliable than modern tractors, but usually too expensive for returning communities to buy.

The animal helps farmers carry and fetch materials and crops; cow dung can be used to fertilise the land, thus reducing reliance (and costs) of more expensive chemical fertilisers; and a cow drastically cuts the time and energy spent tilling.

In order to create a cow bank, a Cow Bank Committee is formed. Apart from providing loans to buy the animals, these committees ensure the people also receive training . how to select a cow, how to build a shelter for it at night, how to protect it from insects and how to feed it an adequate diet.

The cow, such a simple investment, then becomes a part of the community's long term good health.
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Unquote

You will need to establish contact with Ockenden to get your project moving based on their experience in this area in Cambodia itself.

With best wishes.

Vijai

I want to offer a few suggestions concerning the "cow bank". Cows used for plowing are a different breed from those used for milk and meat. They do not need oxen for plowing as they should use 0-till farming and save all that time and labor.

I grew up on a dairy farm and have a BS in dairy husbandry so I love cows but goats [milk and meat] should be considered since there is less cost and a more family size animal.

We can spend days at these computers but is anyone taking the knowledge to the village?

Hi Ken-

I am so glad to know that you are working in this village and I am certain that we will be relying on you a lot due to your vast knowledge in this arena.

I am planning on taking information back to Kimsorn via chat, email and SMS right now, so to answer your question, yes the information will be communicated back to the village. I also know that Kimsorn checks here as frequently as he's able himself, so I am sure that you'll be hearing feedback from him too.

Vijai-thank you as well for the information you shared. I will make sure that I go through it tonight and that Kimsorn sees it as well.

Regards-

Jennifer

Vijai and Ken-

I contacted Ockenden International this evening and requested additional information on their program. Hopefully, we will hear back from them soon.

After looking through their information, they seem to be focused on oxen for pulling plows, and I am not sure that is exactly what Kimsorn is referring to. I will need to clarify with him. Ken, I think he's actually referring to diary or beef cows, but I'm not 100% sure. I will ask him about goats too.

I also contacted Heifer International this evening as well. (www.heifer.org)

Regards-

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer,

The term 'cow' usually refers to the female of this species, and these are used for their milk, and I am not aware if the females are used for ploughing fields also.

Ploughing of fields is done by the male of this species, known as the 'ox'. These are a bit bigger in size and hence stronger than the cows, and so find use in towing heavy weights also.

The 'ox' and the 'bull' are males of the cow species. The 'bull' is used for breeding, and the 'ox' is not used for breeding. I am not aware if Cambodia has a different system.

Kimsorn has used the term 'cow bank', which may be loosely applied to both the female cows and the male oxen and bulls, since a 'cow bank' will need to have a balanced population of both males and females for it to be a stable entity, and also to meet the requirements of milk through the female cows, and ploughing and pulling heavy loads through the male oxen, and breeding through the bulls.

The above information may help you with your interaction with Ockenden.

Vijai

Dear Jennifer, Vijai and Ken
Thank you for Jennifer that facilitate and update for Moung Russey village and make it active communication with all volunteer again after quiet a while during absent of village facilitator. I’m so happy for much contribution from Vijai on cow bank project and the most donation of Ken that provide with some seed and DVD on agriculture technical in farming. I do got the DVD from Ken and all document is on our team, in many months we are so busy on community need assessment, internal policy and financial manual update and three years strategic plan.
We have get some document from NGO partners on training manual, we got one DVD on SRI from agriculture organization call CEDAC and tool of food security assessment from FAO. Now we are looking expert volunteer and funding to develop and translate this document into local language that be easy understanding and available the community current situation environment. I hope all expert volunteer can help us in raising fund and share ideas to achieve this goal.
Another way I would like give some verification of self help group and cow bank here, the self help group is mean to build group of women and disable in each village from 12 to 15 families and manage by their committee elected by themselves with own by law. The group will provide training and promote saving for group capital sustain generation. The cow bank project is referred to cow support to group with 5 cows to each group and pass to another member after the cow delivery and target group will have own cow asset and they can sale next cow baby for business initiative this mean they can get income from animal raining. The project will promote the member to develop compost and high yield plan technique in their small land. It can say that the addition income and food security have arise around Moung Russey and be lesson learn to other community on self help group development.
I have contact with HEIFER international in Cambodia but they don’t have fund support for cow bank due to USA economic crisis and Ockenden Cambodia has allocate its budget for chosen target area.
I hope this respond can give you some understanding on cow bank, please find more detail in three year strategic plan on village for some main activity proposed. I hope to get back from you soon.

Another way I have got the call for proposal from Canada Fund for Cambodia and the criteria is for land rights protection and Food security, the deadline is 31 May 2009. I would like to hear from some one who can help me on this proposal writing I will the guidline and other information to apply for this fund

Best regards,

Sa Kimsorn
CYDC Director and LR
P.O. Box 296 Battambang city, Cambodia
TeL: (855) 99 323238
E-mail: cydc.org_kh@yahoo.com, kimsorn_sa@yahoo.com

Hi Kimsorn,
About the 'cow bank' - from your post above, I understand that you have checked with Ockenden only about the funds aspect. At this stage it should be more important for the village to gain technical knowledge on how to set up and manage the 'cow bank', and discussions on funds could be held only at the end. It is the knowledge and know-how that must be on top of the agenda for discussions at this stage. Organizations like Ockenden would have enough knowledge and feedback on this subject due to their past experience in Cambodia with cow banks, and the village can benefit from all this since all this information will be readily available without any struggle. Funds can be organized from anywhere else in the world, but only Ockenden can provide you the knowledge and feedback about managing the cow bank, based on their experience in your home country Cambodia.
Vijai

The farmers can double their farm yields and reduce their labor by half by using organic, 0-till in permanent beds. Using bucket drip irrigation they can produce during the dry season.

This does not require any fund raising or organization. It does require someone to take the knowledge to the village farmers. There would be one or two farmers who would beging practicing this immediately and all can see that it works. A demonstration bed is the best way to do it.

Tue, Dec 30, 2008

Dear Ken,

Thank you for all the DVD’s you sent me. Thank you for all the info. I am applying it in my own vegetable patch. It is working. Got half a pocket of potatoes off a square metre. So would imagine about 10 pounds per square yard. This off previously dead low, carbon soil. Sure next crop will be better. Got yams coming up on same spot already. Want to plant herbs and spices. I will send photos.

Your advise is so simple. People do not believe me when I tell them. I am so excited about growing things now. This coming from a commercial plum farmer. May you be blessed this holy season a thousand times more than you blessed me with you help. Jeremy Karsen, middagkrans@mwebbiz.co.za

Project room: Kyomya, Uganda
We have been working on improving farming techniques for almost a year. Unfortunately, the farmers are planting small plots of land that only feed their family. There is no other choice but to try new techniques to improve the output of their plot. Ken Hargesheimer suggested the "no till" farming techniques as well as the "drip system". Both have proven effective at increasing produc-tion by at least 5 fold. The time is now for Kyomya to become a model agricultural village. [nabuur.com]

Dear Vijai
Thank you for your discusion and give more clear about Ockenden in providing best practice in cow bank development and technical of cow bank project management. I will contact with one partner of Ockenden in Banteay Meanchey province next to my province for learning and cear understanding on project. I hope other volunteer will give some more experience in project manual development of Cow Bank.

Regards

Kimsorn

Hi Kimsorn,

During your meeting with Ockenden, you could also request them to provide you a copy of project reports for previous projects handled by them in Cambodia. This will help you to avoid getting into the situation of reinventing-the-wheel, as far as cow banks are concerned. You could also request them to help in any other manner like visiting your village to assess the situation, to address the interested people, to train them, and to handle problems etc. You will need to discuss all issues EXCEPT the issue of funds, since they have already declined this help as you mentioned in your post earlier.

With best wishes

Vijai

Dear Vijai

Thank you for your suggestion, i will to meet with Ockeden partner in this weeken for this work and I will back with result to all volunteer heard about that.

Best regards,

Kimsorn

Hi All,

Please find the attaced document with info from a websit called: Sustainable Cambodia. Kimsorn, they run projects in Cambdia that gives breeding pairs of cattle to people at no cost. Please read and let me know how we can help you to apply? Maybe this is what we've been praying for! The company is run by the Rotary Clubs. I know they are for real, since my friend belongs to them and regularly attends their fundraisers with her parents.
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Michel

cambodia funding.doc

Dear Sa Kimsorn,

How is the Cow bank project doing? I just came by a project which supports Cow bank projects in Cambodia and maybe they are willing to help you. Their name is Project Enlighten, website: http://www.projectenlighten.org/projects.html
The program provides support in these areas:
Education
Sustainable Community Projects
Environmental Health & Safety
Non-discriminatory cultural, religious & social support
Charitable Economical Assistance
Their Current focus is on South East Asia.

They are also willing to take on new projects to support, maybe we can also ask them to help develop the educational youth center, I'm willing to support you in writing a project proposal.

Warm regards,
Lotte

Future Projects
Do you have a project that you would like Project Enlighten to sponsor? Please contact us and submit your proposal! We are happy to learn of ways we can help communities everywhere!

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Warm regards, Lotte

Dear Lott'

Thank you for your interest and full support to CYDC and community in Moung Russey, I would like you please share me your own e-mail for sending our proposal and other some document related to the project.

I hope to hear from you soon

Best regards

Kimsorn Sa
CYDC ED and Moung Russey LR
P.O. Box 296 Battambang city, Cambodia
Tel: (855) 17 860068/ 13 890689

Dear all friend on Moung Russey
I'm please inform all of you that after long term commitment
from our volunteers tean to work on mobilizing grassroots development and improving vulnerable group to access with value livelihood. Through our proposal submited to Global fund round 9 is already approved to fund CYDC for 2 years on project of Health System Strengthening (HSS) and it will continue more three years if CYDC complete in phase 1. I would like to impress that CYDC is have its strength capacity to implement and manage on project propose on its strategic plan. How ever the project will improve the health system and awareness of people but the project needed of livelihood development is still remain hot issue require for funding to assist women and disable families. I would like all friend continue to look the availble way to access this project. Lotte how about CYDC sent to you? Can you commend about the way we can access.

I hope to hear from you soon

Best regards

Kimsorn