Community Projects

A number of successful community projects were established by Bob Orskov in Indonesia, Vietnam and Kenya. All the projects have a livestock component, as small livestock such as goats, pigs and poultry can have a very positive impact on poverty alleviation, effectively acting as a “living” bank.  Owning seven or eight goats may be the equivalent in cost to one cow.  Losing the latter would mean the loss of a very large investment. The loss of one goat, on the other hand, is easier for a household to cope with.

Each of the projects established so far works with a revolving fund. The principle behind a revolving fund is that the livestock donated are eventually paid for by the individual recipient farmers by sharing the offspring of the first two pregnancies with the community group in charge of the project. In most cases these are women’s groups, already established in the village and each project, its goals and management, is set up with the active participation of these community groups.

These community projects have been very successful, have given the participants a greater sense of security and made a positive impact in poverty alleviation. The secret of success is to let the village groups decide how they will each manage the revolving fund system. The universities in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Kenya have all gained a better insight into the needs of farmers and this has in turn influenced their research activities.

Click the picture to download a pdf file which gives an overview of our community projects