Asia & Southeast Asia

Cooperative Development Organizations Building a More Prosperous World

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Asia & Southeast Asia

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bangladesh, East Timor, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyztan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

Afghanistan

CHF Community Development AFGHANISTAN

CHF’s has integrated its Community Development methodology into its reconstruction efforts in war-torn Afghanistan. In the province of Bamian, for instance, CHF is working with two local shopkeepers business associations (shuras) to reorganize, improve effectiveness, and rebuild marketplaces that had been completely destroyed by the Taliban. This market reconstruction forms a vital link to the social fabric of the region, and also helps drive the reconstruction of other important economic infrastructure facilities such as bridges and roads.

ACDI/VOCA Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Afghanistan (RIRA) Project.

Performance Duration:8/16/02 – 5/15/03 (8.9 mos.)

ACDI/VOCA, in collaboration with AFRA/RADA, has designed a program to support Afghanistan's rehabilitation by providing legitimate employment opportunities for Afghans currently engaged in the production and harvesting of poppies for opium. ACDI/VOCA's approach is to work with the rural communities of Samangan and to select regions of either Balkh or Baghlan to support the development and expansion of small-scale food production, preservation, and processing. This will enable these communities to not just produce food, but preserve what is grown, add value, and market their products in town and urban centers. In so doing, the project's cash for work activities will:1) Draw labor away from poppy cultivation at the critical harvest and planting times; 2) Support local communities' abilty and choice to earn a living without dependence upon an illegal crop; and 3) Establish the market infrastructure needed to create economic opportunities that do not depend upon opium production.

CHF Growing Entrepreneurship Rapidly (GER)

CHF seeks to improve the quality of life of residents in Mongolia’s Ger Regions by supporting local entrepreneurship and facilitating employment opportunities for hundreds of community residents. The GER Initiative programs operate nine business development centers, serving clients in small manufacturing (wood and metal-working), construction, agribusiness and trade. Services provided by the centers include: business development consulting and training, loan facilitation, employment matching, and business, market and legal information.

Land O'Lakes Dairy Industry Revitalization in Afghanistan

Land O’Lakes, the US-Afghanistan Reconstruction Council, the Aga Khan Foundation, and the principals behind the establishment of a new dairy plant in Afghanistan to be named Mountain Pastures Dairy will implement a three-track development project to revitalize Afghanistan’s dairy industry. This is a multi-faceted, comprehensive, dairy industry development project that will be conducted over a two-year period.

It is anticipated that as sales volumes and the prices paid to processors and producers increase, production will expand. This will not only secure a reasonable standard of living for those participating in the revitalized dairy value-chain, but it will also attract more households and entrepreneurs to engage in dairy as a sustainable production activity that will develop a secure income base for Afghanistan’s families.

WOCCU Pilot Credit Unions in Afghanistan

WOCCU Afghanistan is a $1 million program (through March 31, 2005) funded by the Government of Afghanistan's Microfinance Investment and Support Facility. The program will work to create three pilot credit unions in three locations within Afghanistan.WOCCU will incorporate traditional and Islamic banking principles in its Model Credit Union Building methodology for its work in Afghanistan. WOCCU will work with the Da Afghanistan Bank to enact enabling legislation for credit unions. The program will emphasize strict adherence to prudential standards in order to lay the foundation for a sound credit union network in the future.

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Azerbaijan

ACDI/VOCA Center Area Economic Opportunities Project (CEO)

In 2002, USAID awarded Mercy Corps an umbrella grant to that end. ACDI/VOCA manages the Central Area Economic Opportunities Project (CEO) as a part of the grant. CEO empowers conflict-affected communities to attain economic self-reliance through the development of income generating projects and greater market chain participation in the agricultural sector. The project links internally displaced people, refugees and local populations throughout the market chain, including input supply, production, processing and marketing businesses. By linking the activities of core enterprises to other related businesses, ACDI/VOCA is actively assisting in the establishment of sustainable market networks. The results are greater opportunities for employment and economic stability among all participants.

ACDI/VOCA Farmer to Farmer

Since January 1996, ACDI/VOCA's Farmer to Farmer project maintains an office in Baku and a satellite office in Masalli, southern Azerbaijan. Programs focus on developing the technical and management capacities of farmers, processors, privately based agricultural information systems, and other agro-enterprises. ACDI/VOCA has also organized a local consultancy group "Agro-Meslehet" (Agro-Advice) which uses local agricultural and business specialists to assist emerging entrepreneurs.

ACDI/VOCA Rural Cooperative Credit System

In June 2000, USAID awarded ACDI/VOCA Azerbaijan $5.3 million to establish a rural cooperative credit system in Azerbaijan to support the growth of private agriculture and agribusinesses. Over a period of three years the project will disburse a total of $3 million in loans to more than 900 recipients.

ACDI/VOCA began by establishing CredAgro, a local central credit cooperative, which underwrites and issues all project loans. Since its creation CredAgro has grown and now has four branches throughout Azerbaijan. CredAgro loans are usually for six months to a year and the average loan size is approximately $5,000 (USD). Loans carry a 18-24% interest rate.

CHF International: Community Employment & Economic Opportunity Program (CEEOP)

Project Duration: CEOOP: May 1, 2000 - June 30, 2004 & DSSI: September 1, 2002 - December 31, 2003
Country: Azerbaijan, Southern Region
Funding Source: Mercy Corps International

The Community Employment and Economic Opportunity Program (CEEOP) develops sustainable jobs and businesses through training, and improves business skills of entrepreneurs in the Southern region of Azerbaijan. Project sites include Imishlu, Saatli, Sabirabad, Bilasuvar, Beylagan and Fizuli. Activities include basic and advanced business training, business advisory services for entrepreneurs on a sustainable basis (through capacity building for service delivery) and quarterly production of a Market Research and Pricing publication and a National Transportation and Trade Report distributed to local entrepreneurs. The program concentrates on key five component areas:
1) Association Development;
2) Training/ Technical Consultation;
3) Credit Linkage;
4) Information Dissemination and
5) Partnership Development.

CHF International: Social Investment Initiative (SII) (COMPLETED)

Project Duration: January 31, 2001 - December 31, 2002
Funding Source: USAID via Mercy Corps International

The Social Investment Initiative (SII) built local capacity of community groups and promoted civic initiative by rehabilitating economic and social infrastructure on a demand-driven basis. Under SII, CHF International worked with 47 communities in southern and central Azerbaijan, promoting the integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees into the social fabric and economic life. This helped shift beneficiaries’ perspectives (and development trends) from short-term relief assistance toward long-term sustainable development.

With participating community groups, CHF International identified, prepared and selected funding over 150 small-size labor-intensive community infrastructure projects (so called micro-projects) worth $1.5 million. CHF International helped generate employment, provide training and capacity building, and contributed to the well being and self-reliance of Azeri residents displaced and affected by the recent international conflict. Over the life of project, some 75,000 IDPs and refugees directly benefited from the SII, and 3,000 persons received training in community micro-project planning, resource mobilization, implementation, and sustainable management. Close to 100 local community action plans were developed to enable communities to better plan for and manage their human and financial resources, and to implement infrastructure and community projects.

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Armenia

ACDI/VOCA Armenia

In Armenia, ACDI/VOCA is achieving agribusiness development through local NGO capacity building. ACDI/VOCA uses USAID funding to enhance the impact of the existing Farmer to Farmer program. The two-prong strategy has 1) established VISTAA, an NGO that provides local consultants to the agricultural sector and 2) made small demonstration grants to individuals who are considered "vulnerable" and those willing to test innovative ideas; and to other long-term development projects and institutional capacity building activities.

This project expands on existing programs in the Caucasus region. In Armenia, the program continues to focus on small and micro-enterprise development, post-harvest handling, value-added processing, packaging, labeling, and marketing.

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Bangladesh

NRECA Bangladesh

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) provides assistance to Bangladesh to bring electricity to rural areas. Over the past year, more than 50 rural electric cooperatives throughout the U.S. made major contributions to the Bangladesh rural electrification project by sharing their expertise and experiences in rural electrification. Each group had a different focus for their training goals, covering technical, financial, and organizational issues and learning about the range of unique services provided by U.S. cooperatives to their member-consumers. This provided them a new perspective on their work and a vision of the direction in which they could be heading upon returning to their country. Hosting the visitors were co-ops as well as statewide associations located across the United States.

Land O'Lakes Agro-based Industries and Technology Development Project

Bangladesh has an emerging food processing industry, which is making use of the primary agricultural production of millions of small-scale farmers throughout the country. This project, which is a five-year follow-on activity to a previous project, will build on work completed in the first phase and focus on those food processing sectors seen as having the greatest potential for development. In this project, Land O’Lakes and Cargill Technical Services are sub-contractors to the Louis Berger Group (the prime contractor) for the implementation of this USAID contract.

The project uses a variety of implementation methodologies to provide the needed support to the sectors chosen. This includes direct technical assistance, support for the development of agribusiness associations, policy reform advice for the Government of Bangladesh, and technical training sessions.

Land O'Lakes Bangladesh School Nutrition Program (SNP)

Land O’Lakes began its Bangladesh School Nutrition Program in 2002 with an agreement under the Global Food for Education Initiative (GFEI) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under the FY2002 program, 240,000 Bengali elementary school children received fortified milk and fortified biscuits every school day – which is six days per week. During the FY02 program, attendance rates increased in some schools and the snacks encouraged children to continue their attendance at schools even during the very restrictive monsoon and flood season.

The GFEI project ended in December 2003, and a new multi-year agreement was awarded by USDA under Section 416(b) for the 2005-2007 fiscal years. Multi-year funding is contingent on availability of commodities. During FY05, approx. 155,390 school children and their teachers will receive a nutritious snack, and in FY06-07 the program will serve approx. 123,880 and 123,601 beneficiaries respectively. The project area will include schools in the Jamalpur district, located approximately four hours north of the capital city Dhaka.

Program highlights include:

34 percent increase in attendance and 28 percent increase in enrollment from baseline;
Program children that were given 300 kcal a day for a school year gained approximately 8 percent above average weight;

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East Timor

NBCA East Timor, The Timor Economic Rehabilitation and Development Project (TERADP)

NCBA has worked in East Timor since 1994 to help farmers and their cooperatives develop new markets for their products and to provide vital services to their members. NCBA's CLUSA International Program assists in:

coffee and vanilla procurement, processing and export marketing;
health care services;
food and consumer goods purchasing and distribution;
cooperative development; and
human resources development and training.

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Indonesia

ACDI/VOCA SUCCESS Asia Alliance

Performance Duration: 9/30/02 – 9/29/05

The objectives of the SUCCESS project are: 1) Improve the quantity and quality of smallholder-grown cocoa in Indonesia and the Philippines through the adoption of good crop husbandry methods and effective integrated pest management practices and maintain a regular source of income for cocoa farmers. 2) Strengthen the partnership between the local governments, universities and farmer groups and the US private sector to better utilize resources to support the sustainable development of the cocoa industry while ensuring the conservation of the forest base.

2. Food for Progress

This one-year project is monetizing 10,000 MT of soybean meal to Indonesian feed millers and poultry producers. The $1.75 million in proceeds will capitalize a poultry credit fund that will provide operating capital to small and medium-scale poultry growers in West Java Island. In addition, consultant and volunteers are providing technical assistance to poultry firms to improve their production, profitability, and efficiency.

NCBA - Indonesia Commodity Monetization 416(b) Program

Indonesia Commodity Monetization 416(b) Program – Monetize 20,000 mt of rice; proceeds are used to introduce viable, sustainable small-scale agribusinesses into rural West Timor.

Cold Chain Association Development Project

Indonesia’s cold chain, the process of preserving the quality of perishable consumable goods from the point of harvest to the point of consumption, is underdeveloped. ACDI/VOCA was awarded a grant to support the development of Asosiasi Rantai Pendigin Indonesia (ARPI), an Indonesian trade association that will bring together stakeholders in the perishable commodities sector for the purpose of networking, investing, and collaborating to build an effective cold chain network in Eastern Indonesia.

Land O'Lakes School Nutrition Program (SNP)

Program Susu Usaha Kesehatan Sekolah (UKS) is the official name of the Land O’Lakes-Indonesia School Nutrition Program. This United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded program provides free fortified milk or biscuits three times weekly throughout the school year to over 560,000 elementary school children, 20,000 teachers and headmasters in 3,000 schools representing over 73 districts.

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Kazakhstan

ACDI/VOCA's Kazakhstan Community Loan Fund (KCLF)

Period of Performance: Sept. 96 - Sept. 02

Primary Goal: To provide much needed microcredit loans to struggling entrepreneurs eager to take their skills and creativity to the marketplace.

Significant Accomplishments:
1. The KCLF has distributed 26,000 loans, totaling over $7 million, making it the premier micro-credit program in central Asia. It currently has more than 3,000 clients.
2. The project is specifically targeted toward women, who make up 83 percent of the clientele.
3. The loan program provides networking opportunities and business education that will support participants in their business ventures. KCLF aslo served as the catalyst for developing legislation that allows nonprofits to operate credit programs.

Future Initiatives:
The contract is scheduled to end in Sept. 2002.

2. Community Action Investment Program (CAIP)

Performance Duration: 6/1/02 – 5/31/05 (36 months)

The purpose of CAIP is to help prevent conflict and promote broad-based citizen dialogue and participation in communities where the majority of citizens are poor and the preconditions for violent conflict are present. It is to build the foundation for sustainable community action planning and develop replicable community action models.

3. Kazakstan Community Loan Fund

Performanc Duration 9/96-9/02

The Kazakstan Community Loan Fund is a locally managed micro-loan initiative that uses a proven peer group lending methodology and provides training and resources to local small enterprises. Loans are made to groups of 5 to 10 business owners who meet regularly to network and enhance their management skills. One of KCLF’s outstanding achievements is its financial independence--it currently covers operating costs with interest income and fees. KCLF was recently expanded to Shimkent with $1.5 million in capital from USAID.

NRECA Kazakhstan

NRECA is working with a local distribution company to convert it into a member-owned cooperative.

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Kyrgyztan

Community Action Investment Program (CAIP)

Performance Duration 6/1/02 – 5/31/05 (36 months)

2. Cooperative Development Project Kyrgyzstan Bai Tushum Foundation(CARITAS)

Performance Duration 9/00-5/02

Proceeds from monetized wheat flour were used to capitalize loan funds in 3 rural areas. Technical assistance provided under the Cooperative Development Project helped to develop viable loan products for small and medium-scale farmers, along with a methodology that taught borrowers the value of credit and how to do business in a market economy. In 2000, MFI lending operations were merged to form Bai Tushum, a non-profit financial institution for lending to the rural sector throughout Kyrgyzstan. A long-term banking advisor is assisting Bai Tushum in its initial stage of development, and in the expansion and diversification of its loan portfolio.

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Mongolia

ACDI/VOCA's Enterprise Market Development for Rural Mongolia (SPICE)

Period of Performance: June 98 - Sept. 01

Primary Goal: Strengthen the participation and institutional capacities in enterprise and market development in rural Mongolia.

Significant Accomplishments:

1. Cashmere Breed Improvement Project-

· Three groups of pure Mongolian Cashmere breeding goats have begun genetic improvement. There are a total of 80 herders in the three groups. The herders have formed Co-ops for marketing and to manage their own elite nucleus breeding flock. Genetic as well as financial records are being kept by the cooperating herders as a direct result of project training. Record books were developed, printed and provided to the herders by the project.

· A national Purebred Cashmere Association was formed as well as local registry associations. A purebred livestock exposition was planned for September 2000 as well as an auction in August 2001. A USA Study tour was planned for August of 2000. Ten local herder leaders and group manager/trainers participated.

2. Veterinary Privatization Assistance Project-

· Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) broke out in Mongolia in early February of 2001. The Mongolian Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MMFA) requested assistance from the ACDI/VOCA veterinary project to the control of FMD in Mongolia. Through discussions with the MMFA and other contacts, we were able to help put together a three-part plan for U.S. assistance to Mongolia.

The ACDI/VOCA veterinary project was instrumental in setting up the FMD assistance plan outlined above. The coordination among the various players (U.S. Embassy, MMFA, USAID, U.S. Military, USDA/APHIS) could not have been done without the efforts of members of the ACDI/VOCA veterinary team. This is an example of how a project on the ground can assist in the coordination of a much larger effort to assist Mongolia and in this case to improve animal health. The FMD assistance project generated media opportunities for the U.S. involvement in Mongolia and our project in particular. Stories were recorded by CNN, Reuters, Mongolian National TV, Channel 25 (Ulaanbaatar), and Eagle TV. The contacts established during the veterinary team visit between the USDA/APHIS and U.S. Military and their Mongolian counterparts will undoubtedly lead to more cooperation between the two countries in the area of livestock health in the future.

3. MicroStartMON/97/202

ACDI/VOCA’s UNDP-funded MicroStart Mongolia Program established Mongolia’s first stand-alone microfinance institution—XAC (Golden Fund for Development)—a second-tier institution that provides wholesale loans to local, multi-service NGOs for on-lending. XAC is establishing standards of performance for the Mongolian microfinance industry by introducing a business-like approach and a strict discipline of institutional and financial transparency and accountability. XAC also acts as an intermediary between the Central Bank, commercial banks, and the mirofinance sector.

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Nepal

ACDI/VOCA Market Access for Rural Development (MARD)

Performance Duration: 04/01/97-03/31/02

MARD seeks to build on the success of previous AID projects which improved income, farm production and other measurable quality-of-life indicators in the Rapti zone of Nepal. Specifically, MARD will expand participation of farmers in the production and marketing of high-value crops and livestock, accelerate the establishment of agriculture-based household and small-scale enterprise, and improve farmer access to local, regional and international markets.

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Pakistan

Land O'Lakes School Nutrition Program (SNP)

The Pakistan school nutrition program is made possible through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 416(b) food aid program. School feeding first began in the District Ghotki on April 14, 2003, and since its inception has distributed milk and biscuits to approximately 130,000 students.

Significant impacts from the Pakistan School Nutrition Program include:

Training of over 4,000 teachers and NGO school supervisors on milk handling, storage, safety and quality checking; awareness-promoting posters about these instructions are also displayed at all schools and food warehouses in the local language;
All 130,000 beneficiary children (ages 5-10 years) are dewormed (semi-annually);
Increased enrollment by 82 percent from April 2003 to May 2004 (boys: 64 percent; girls: 136 percent; and 37,339 new students);
Increased attendance from 40 percent in April 2003 to 80 percent in May 2004;
District Government has opened 237 new schools in response to enrollment increase
Socio-economic impact includes creation of over 175 direct jobs;

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Philippines

ACDI/VOCA SUCCESS Asia Alliance

Performance Duration: 9/30/02 – 9/29/05

ACDI/VOCA Food Monetization, 416(b) Program

Performance Duration 7/29/02 – 3/31/03 (8.1 months)

ACDI/VOCA is monetizing 32,500 MT of SW Wheat for Winrock International. Winrock will use the proceeds for technical assistance, training, and credit fund to assist with investments in the cold chain infrastructure over a two-year program commencing with the delivery of the commodity to Indonesia and receipt of the monetization proceeds.

ACDI/VOCA Soybean Meal Monetization

Performance Duration: 9/1/02 – 3/31/03 (6.9 months)

ACDI/VOCA, as a subcontractor to CARE-USA, is monetizing 25,000 MT of soybean meal. We are developing the monetization plan for the commodity, to include a summary analysis of the usual marketing requirements for soybean meal and projected market impact.

ACDI/VOCA Food for Progress

Performance Duration: 6/99-6/00

WOCCU Philippines

WOCCU Philippines is a $3.7 million project (10/96 – 9/02) funded by USAID’s Office of Microenterprise Development. The Philippine Credit Union Empowerment and Strengthening (CUES) program has focused on financial disciplines and savings-driven growth. One unique element of the program is a partnership between WOCCU and Freedom From Hunger that enables credit unions to offer a village banking product, Savings and Credit with Education (SCWE), to poor rural women, in addition to their regular savings and credit services. For more information: http://www.woccu.org/development/md_country.php?cid=13

NRECA Rural Electrification Financing Program

In 2002, NRECA International, Ltd., in partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC – of the World Bank Group), the [U.S.] National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) and local Philippines' cooperatives, established the Rural Electrification Financing Corporation –REFC- to provide member cooperatives with an alternative to government financing.

The REFC is a revolving-fund lending institution dedicated specifically to meeting the needs of Philippines cooperatives. It currently has 49 electric cooperative shareholders and has disbursed 49 loans to 36 members, totaling $2.3 million. The loans have funded projects such as system upgrades to the distribution lines, construction of transmission lines, and purchasing line protection equipment for hotline work.

Land O'Lakes School Nutrition Program (SNP)

The Land O’Lakes/Philippines School Nutrition Program, started in 2002, has had a significant impact on the lives of approximately 139,500 elementary school children students and staff by providing them daily with generous portions of nutritious milk and biscuits that they would have no means of sourcing otherwise. With a newly awarded Section 416(b) agreement with USDA, LOL/Philippines will continue to provide a nutrition snack to approximately 143,249 beneficiaries during the fiscal year 2005.

A 200ml UHT milk serving and 40g of fortified biscuits containing a total of 360 kilocalories is distributed to beneficiaries of this program. School attendance and enrollment has increased and the learning environment has been improved. The schools covered in this program represent more than a third (39.4 percent) of the total public elementary schools and over half (56.2 percent) of the total number of elementary pupils in the province of Camarines Sur.

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Tajikistan

CHF International Micro-projects

Project Duration: Fiscal 2004
Funding Source: CHF International

In Tajikistan, CHF International is piloting a series of micro-projects with its own funding.

In Sakhbo, CHF International is assisting in the repair of two water pumps, using a community mobilization methodology. In Arakchin, the current electrical transformer does not have the capacity to meet the needs of all these families, as it often burns out, and in the winter and evenings families are lucky to receive even a dim light source. CHF International is working with the community to install an electrical transformer to benefit 1,820 people. In Khairobod, in the Railway District of Dushanbe, CHF International is also working with the community to install an electrical transformer.

Land O’Lakes Tajikistan

The Western Ukraine Initiative is a three-year, U.S. Agency for International Development program designed to: (1.) accelerate agricultural privatization; (2.) increase trade between Ukraine and bordering countries: (3.) expand credit availability, and, (4.) improve the management skills of Ukrainian agribusinesses. A team of two US advisors are placed in L'viv oblast to provide training to Ukrainian businesses and banks and facilitate contacts with potential business partners in Poland and other Eastern European countries.

The project identifies Ukrainian businesses that receive extensive one-on-one consulting assistance from US and Polish business experts. Concrete business improvement strategies are identified and implemented over several years resulting in a minimum increase in profits of 15 percent. In addition, a group of 12 Ukrainian nationals has been trained in business consulting techniques, enabling these professionals to provide business improvement services well beyond the life of the USAID project.

Alternatives to Conflict in Tajikistan (ACT)

CHF International's new Alternatives to Conflict in Tajikistan (ACT) program is an innovative initiative designed to counteract the widespread disillusionment amongst the country's young people. Those young people are vulnerable to the economic disenfranchisement and increasing economic polarization in Tajikistan as well as the dangerous and illegal activity that may result.

To combat these forces, ACT will create economic development through substantial employment for at-risk youth in the Sugd region of Northern Tajikistan. The program, funded through USAID, hopes to have a direct impact on the lives of 1,000 young people in the Sugd region.

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Thailand

ACDI/VOCA Accelerating Economic Recovery

Performance Duration: 10/1/99-9/30/00

ACID/VOCA will support the Kenan Foundation Asia in making Thai SMEs more productive and profitable by providing volunteer advisors to the Business Advisory Center (BAC).

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Uzbekistan

CHF International: Community Action Investment Program

Project Duration: April 1, 2002 - March 31, 2005
Funding Source: USAID

In Uzbekistan, CHF International strengthens the economy through community-led initiatives that will integrate democratic principles into local procedures while providing necessary infrastructure. The Community Action Investment Program engages the residents of more than 60 Uzbekistan communities in defining, prioritizing, planning and implementing a series of community improvement projects for local economic development. CHF International establishes community groups and provides training, technical assistance, and grants.

WOCCU Uzbekistan

WOCCU Uzbekistan is a $2.8 million program (6/02-5/06) funded by USAID CAR. The project is working with five newly-established pilot credit unions in three regions. The goal is to create a nationwide credit union system throughout the country.

WOCCU first established a presence in Uzbekistan working with funding from the Asian Development Bank to create a legal, regulatory and supervisory framework to allow credit unions to exist. WOCCU Uzbekistan has worked intensively to train credit union managers, staff and boards of directors in credit union management and operations. From December 2002 to June 2003, voluntary savings deposits have increased by over 1700%. More than half of the member-clients are women.

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Vietnam

USDA Food for Progress Project

Through a three-year U.S. Department of Agriculture Food for Progress award, ACDI/VOCA will monetize 25,000 metric tons (MT) of soybean meal in Vietnam, which will generate approximately $5.5 million to fund development activities. This initiative builds on successful projects in Indonesia and the Philippines and the strong relationship ACDI/VOCA has developed with the cocoa industry.

Land O'Lakes School Nutrition Program

During the 2003-2004 school year, approx. 215,000 children and teachers received a 200-ml package of fortified UHT, aseptically packed milk and a fortified biscuit every school day. During the 2004-(May) 2005 school year, 115,190 beneficiaries will receive a nutritious snack. In addition, Land O’Lakes is working develop the dairy industry in the districts around Ho Chi Minh City, such as the Cu Chi and Can Tho districts. This area leads dairy development in Vietnam and has a high concentration of dairy animals. Under the school feeding component of this project, approximately 2,000 children will be periodically fed the fresh milk and a biscuit. This Dairy Link project will create 15 new jobs in the industry; create an alternative marketing channel for small-scale dairy farmers providing them a 10 percent higher price for fresh milk; create a feeding program that is affordable to parents and local communities and help combat malnutrition; and increase sales to milk processors by 25 percent because of yield and quality improvements.

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