Development

During 2006, FOC was involved in several rural community development, rural education, and poverty alleviation projects in Qinghai, Sichuan, Shaanxi and Xinjiang. A variety of volunteers and foreign experts were recruited to assist resident FOC foreign experts in these projects. Of course, none of this work would have been possible without extensive cooperation and assistance from many provincial and local government officials.

Qinghai Province

FOC has sustained a variety of projects that have benefited local communities in Qinghai, not only in terms of financial investment, but also in terms of numerous man-hours in training and support of local personnel.

Well-Drilling Project This project endeavors to provide potable drinking water to rural Tibetan communities. In 2006 there were a total of 12 holes drilled in the areas of Dao Tang He and Zeku, four of which have successfully provided a sustainable source of drinking water. The project continues to refine the drilling process in order to ensure that the product cost is brought within a range that the local community is able to afford. The project has also provided essential training of young Tibetans with a view to assisting them form their own sustainable well drilling business in 2007. An important aspect of this project is health care training which teaches basic community sanitation at schools, homes and at village meetings.

Model House Project This project in Hai Nan County began in 2005. In 2005 FOC built a house which demonstrates various features that are affordable and beneficial to nomads and farmers. Some features include: composting latrine, passive solar heat, insulation, improved stoves, rainwater cisterns and greenhouses. In 2006, the project maintained the house and brought visitors to come and learn from it so that they may incorporate these features in their own homes.

"Amdo Craft Wool Project" This is an ongoing project in which Amdo Tibetan herding families are trained in skills such as weaving, knitting, and felting in order to help them produce marketable souvenirs. About 60 families in Huang Nan and Hai Nan prefectures have been producing handicrafts over the past year. In 2006 a new phase of this project was commenced in Tong De County where five women have been trained so far. These skill trainings benefit individual families as well as communities as a whole. This project helps preserve traditional Tibetan weaving and braiding skills, in addition to providing nomad families with marketable skills and products. As the tourist market in Qinghai is rapidly developing, this could potentially help many families earn additional income.

Jian Zha Agricultural Development Project This project aims to increase the income of farmers by helping them use plants with higher yields. In order to achieve this, experiments have been conducted on local farms with new seed types. This project not only aims to improve the produce of individual farmers, but also to benefit the local community by making new varieties of peas, cucumber, corn and tomatoes for sale.

Xiang Sha Reservoir Project This is a project from 2004 aimed at assisting the village of Xiang Sha, Xun Hua County to jointly construct an irrigation reservoir. In 2006 FOC has provided funds in order to complete this project and the opening ceremony was held in November.

Wind Power Project This project began in 2006 and is in the research phase. Its aim is to be able to help rural and marginalized Tibetan communities develop a source of electricity through harnessing wind power. The project also aims to match equipment available on the local market to the needs of these communities, keeping in mind their ability to pay and understanding of the technology used.

Library Project A library is in the process of being set up in the county town seat of Jian Zha in order to improve education, literacy, and community life.

Karong Literacy Project FOC started a literacy project in KaRang Village, DeHengLong area, Hua Long County. Literacy of Chinese characters was previously very low in this village. ?An average of around 20 students, mostly adults and some children, have participated in the classes on a regular basis. ?By focusing on practical topics such as reading location names, basic vocabulary related to taking local transportation, using medicine, etc., the project aims to improve basic literacy. The project has also taught basic numeracy skills.

Sichuan Province

Rehabiliation Equipment In 2006, FOC worked in co-operation with the Sichuan American Chamber of Commerce to donate rehabilitation equipment to the Chengdu No.1 Retirement and Rehabilitation Centre. The equipment is used in a special Rehabilitation Therapy Room and is available for the use of all the residents in the Centre, under the direction of experienced and qualified staff.

Medical Clinic n April 2006 FOC supported medical work in Shi'erQu' County, Ganzi Prefecture, by sending one fully qualified foreign doctor to participate in a general medical clinic.

Non-profit Project Consultancy In 2006, FOC and FOC-introduced experts also provided management and funding consultancy services to some locally-based projects. These included Firm Foundations in Nanchong , a residential skills-training centre for disadvantaged and disabled teenagers, Chengdu Loving China Rehabilitation Hospital in Pixian, which is currently in the planning and building stage, and Chengdu Disabled People's Foundation.

Shaanxi Province

Support for orphans in Hanzhong In Shaanxi province, the FOC Representative office introduced and provided care and assistance to two health care workers in Hanzhong.

Henan Province

Henan Qisehua Welfare Kindergarten The kindergarten provides inclusive education (150 normally developing children and 12 disabled children). The objectives of the project are: developing individual educational plans for each disabled child, providing training in special education for the teachers, supporting the parents of the disabled children, purchasing some significant educational resources, and setting up a model that can be replicated in other kindergartens.

Significant and strategic support for inclusive education at this integrated kindergarten continues to be provided through FOC Henan. In July, August, and September, short term professionals with special education, speech pathology, and physical therapy expertise were brought in to train kindergarten staff and set up individual treatment/education plans for the disabled children at the kindergarten. In October, a new initiative to provide educational programming at the kindergarten for several orphans with developmental delays was also launched.

HOPE Henan The HOPE Henan project has provided training on HIV/AIDS awareness and basic knowledge. In 2006 we also developed training materials and started training with people in Zhoukou and Kaifeng that are working with children affected by AIDS. These training sessions help them to better understand the different needs that these children have, like educational needs, physical needs, emotional needs, social needs and so on. It also teaches them how to respond adequately to these needs, so the care they provide to the children can be improved. HOPE Henan has also continued translation of significant resources from English into Chinese regarding helping children affected by AIDS.

Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

In co-operation with Operation Mercy and Yopurgha County, FOC Associates have continued agricultural training of village leaders in Yupurgha. This project seeks to facilitate training and to establish improvements in methods and techniques to support the arable and pastoral agriculture in this underdeveloped area. In 2006, the project was involved in artificial insemination of cattle for village farmers.