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NZCFS Projects in Guangxi

Projects in Quanzhou County, Guilin

NZCFS has been working for several years in Dongshan Village, four hours drive north of Guilin. Dongshan is a Yao area with  women at home farming while men go to the cities to work. Many people do not speak Mandarin Chinese and extension staff do not speak Yao, so the project targeted 400 women and encouraged them to pass on the knowledge and skills they gained to their neighbours. The project had lessons in tomato and chilli production, health and sanitation and basic legal rights, and introduced the production of the Chinese medicine tree sanmu.  The Women’s Federation sent this update.

“The training project in tomato and chilli production held in 2008 in Dongshan has been very well received and in 2010 the results continue with good quality and increased prices for the women farmers.

Last August the project focused on cervical cancer checks. 400 poor women with children were selected to have a health check and encouraged to have one every two years. An open letter was put in the newspaper ‘Quanzhou Information’ and the local TV station reported on progress. The Women’s Federation field staff visited every family to encourage women to join this activity, organized consultations in the villages and taught women about venereal disease, AIDS, maternal health care, and ideas for stronger self-help.

400 poor women had free health checks at the County Family Planning Service Station and  332 women had women diseases, 5.28% higher than the average County level figures. The project focused on breaking down embarrassment and promoting an understanding of disease and control through general hygiene and improved sanitation and complemented the earlier work done in this area.