"Report
from Chengdu"
My wife Nancy and I, along with
Gideon Ip of CCHK, and several folks from the broader local
community, were privileged to represent Hong Kong at the
celebration in Chengdu October 8 of the passing on ceremony
of the One Millionth Animal to be distributed to Chinese
farmers through Heifer Project China.
The ceremony was held at the
village of Olong at about 6,000 feet elevation in the high
plateau and mountains of northeast Sechuan province. The
temperature was coolish during the daytime ceremony and
quite cold at night. This area of Sechuan is a transitional
cultural zone in which Han Chinese, Tibetan people, and
other Chinese ethnic traditions live and farm
together.
The other guests included a half
dozen friends of Heifer from the U.S., the new American
Consul in Chengdu, Brian Woo, his wife and three American
families from the provincial capital, and a large local
Chengdu delegation of volunteers, friends and ministry of
agriculture workers.
All of the hundred or so goats
purchased through CCHK have been placed in or near the
village where we were hosted and it was a delight to see the
brown, all white, and multicolored goats of our gift
program, and now their progeny, thriving in that area and
receiving supervised care..
One of the guiding principles of
Heifer is that each family which receives two to four goats,
or other animals like yaks, rabbits, and ducks, as gifts
will pass on, or give, offspring from the original gift to
neighbors who lack any livestock. Both the donating and the
receiving farmer sign formal contracts to honor this passing
on principle. At the ceremony held in a school yard the
giving farmer and the receiving farmer solemnly signed their
contract and then five festooned goats were paraded across
the school yard and passed on.
Several hundred local villagers
observed the ceremony and were palpably delighted with the
antics of the goats and not overly bored, it would appear,
with the several speeches, one of which I gave with Gideon
Ip translating.
The hospitality of the Chendu
Heifer staff and volunteers was endearing and I was pleased
to see the local officials of the Chinese agriculture
ministry participating wholeheartedly in the celebration. As
we drew near the celebration venues, which also included the
great panda reserve, several dozen large banners hung across
the road to greet us. The banners were provided by the
township officials. At the panda reserve we also received a
royal welcome co-organized by Heifer China and the local
officials. It was fun there to hold baby pandas and pet
adult pandas.
These things most impressed
me:
- the dedication of the mostly
young Heifer China staff of a dozen persons and the two
dozen or more volunteers, mostly students, who are
helping Heifer make its program effective in the
countryside.
- the obvious new wealth which
Heifer animals are creating among the farmers. The
average annual income for peasants in this poorest area
of China is Yuan 400 per adult which is like HK$400 or
US$50. At the passing on ceremony two farmers who have
greatly increased their wealth from goat and rabbit
husbandry made significant personal gifts to Heifer
China. Two years ago these same farmers could not have
scratched together a few Yuan in ready cash.
- the prospects that Heifer will
continue to win friends as donors and volunteers in Hong
Kong and in China. The vice president of Heifer, the Rev.
Jerry Bedford, and other visitors worshipped with us
October l0 and after the service were hosted at a
beautiful lunch where enthusiasm from local businessmen,
both Chinese and expatriate, was formally registered to
begin a Hong Kong Heifer China support group. In the
years ahead our church will not be the only source of
support for Heifer in our city.
Pastor Gene Preston