Give2Asia staff visit the program site in Dayi, Chengdu to meet the local project team and beneficiaries—and to update our understanding of local needs.
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted livelihoods across China. Rural areas were especially impacted, with many small businesses, farmers, and planters suffering significant difficulties in their life and work. Public health measures prevented some products from selling, which made these families’ income plummet.
To address this challenge, Leping Social Entrepreneur Foundation (Leping) launched the COVID-19 Post-Outbreak Rural Livelihood Support Program with the support of Give2Asia. The program has three objectives: providing micro-loans to affected families; providing digital agricultural technology; and building a mutual aid network. Together, these projects would support these disadvantaged rural families to resume production and pull through the difficult times.
In December 2021, representatives from Give2Asia’s China Representative Office (CRO) joined Leping staff for a visit to the program site in Dayi, Chengdu to meet the local project team and beneficiaries, and to update our understanding of the local needs.
Give2Asia staff meeting with beneficiaries of micro-loans
During the visit, Give2Asia met with disadvantaged business families and farmers in Dayi to hear their stories. We also had the opportunity to observe preliminary outcomes from the program:
- The micro-loans helped local restaurant owners to maintain their businesses and cover the daily expenses for their families.
- The digital agricultural technology system developed by Leping has helped fish farmers by greatly decreased the mortality rate of fish through real-time water quality monitoring.
- The rural community mutual aid network supported several disadvantaged families to solve their urgent needs.
Even with this progress, there were still needs and problems to be solved. While the digital agricultural technology system benefited the farmers’ production, the products weren’t always able to reach to larger market for sale. Many disadvantaged families also had difficulties getting medical treatment and housing and needed more support to access social resources. Give2Asia raised suggestions to Leping and shared recommendations for the sustainable development of this program.
An agricultural expert from Leping and Give2Asia staff observing the digital agricultural technology system in a vineyard supported by this program
The Rural Livelihood Support Program was jointly supported by Give2Asia and a generous corporate donor. The initial 18-month post-outbreak program began in 2020 and will conclude in mid-2022. We are optimistic that the program will continue to develop and provide more aid for the disadvantaged families impacted by the pandemic.
On-site visits help Give2Asia’s CRO understand the progress and outcomes of the program and better evaluate potential project risks and compliance issues. Give2Asia will keep carrying out on-site investigations for this and other significant grants to ensure reliable and effective implementation of the programs we support.
Give2Asia staff meeting with a disadvantaged family to understand their needs
中国疫情后农村生计赋能项目探访
2021年12月，赠与亚洲北京代表处首席执行官黎兴及4位项目官员在北京乐平公益基金会（简称“乐平”）的陪同下，探访了中国疫情后农村生计赋能项目的执行地成都市大邑县，与项目当地执行团队、项目受益人进行了沟通，同时对当地需求进行了考察。
赠与亚洲项目官员与小额贷款受益户沟通了解目前家庭生活情况
受到2020年初新冠疫情肆虐的影响，大邑县农村地区很多个体经商户、种养殖户的生产生活受到了很大的冲击，导致经营停滞，产品滞销等问题，农户收入被迫降到最低点。北京乐平公益基金会的中国疫情后农村生计赋能项目旨在为这些农户提供小额贷款、数字化农业技术等支持，并为当地构建农村社区互助网络，以帮助这些困难农户尽快恢复生产、经营，走出困境。赠与亚洲本次探访对个别小额贷款受益户、数字化农业支持户和社区互助网络中的困难家庭均进行了走访，并与受益人直接沟通。
在项目支持的葡萄园，乐平农业专家向赠与亚洲介绍数字化农业系统
过程中，赠与亚洲了解到项目对于大邑当地个体户、农户及困难户的实际帮助情况和初步效果。包括：
• 项目发放的小额贷款成功地帮助了经营餐馆的个体户维持经营，其收入至少能够维持家庭的日常支出；
• 乐平研发的数字化农业系统通过对水质的实时监测帮助项目支持的养鱼户实现死鱼率的大幅度下降；
• 项目创建的农村社区互助网络也已帮助部分困难家庭筹集了资源，解决了一些燃眉之急。
然而，在这些支持下，仍有一些需求亟待解决。比如数字化农业系统虽然便利了农户生产，但后续销售渠道等问题仍需跟进；部分困难家庭仍有治病、住房等根本问题，需要更多社会资源的介入和支持等。赠与亚洲团队也针对这些需求，向乐平提出了具体的优化建议，并对项目持续的发展和进步提出了期望。
赠与亚洲项目官员与困难家庭沟通并了解其需求
中国疫情后农村生计赋能项目由赠与亚洲与境外爱心企业共同支持，作为疫情后期支持项目，持续开展一年半并计划于2022年中旬结项。该项目接下来会继续按计划推进，优化项目活动，为受到疫情持续冲击的弱势群体提供更多帮扶。
通过对项目实施地的实地走访有利于提升赠与亚洲团队对项目实施进展、效果的了解，并对项目实施过程的规范性、风险性进行评估审核。赠与亚洲未来也将继续推进对重点项目的实地考察，确保这些项目合规、高效地运作，并实现预定目标。