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Autumn 2004 : Tibetan communities assisted by Yak

Since 2002 Bóthar has been working in the Tibet area of the Himalayan Mountains. Due to its remote location, the area is one of the poorest in Asia. Most families are subsistence farmers living off the land. The average income of these people is €73 annually with just 30% of the income as cash.

The growing season for the Tibetan plateau is only four months and the Tibetan people are always facing the problem of resource shortages. Many farmers go to town only once a year and communication with the outside world is extremely limited. Transportation is also very poor, and is provided by horses or yaks.

Bóthar's Tibetan project is working to alleviate some of the sufferings of these communities. After training and preparation, chosen families received a Yak from Bóthar. The Yak is a multi purpose animal, it can provide a family with milk and butter for consumption and sale, and its long hair can be used for clothing and in some aspects of house building. Its dried manure is used to make fuel for cooking and these strong animals also provide draft power for ploughing and transport. A yak will give birth twice within three years. A yak can offer a Tibetan family a chance to live in relative comfort and provide them, over time, with the means to change their lives permanently.

On the Bóthar/Heifer International scheme, Yak were presented to 270 impoverished local families and disaster victim families. Bóthar also provided participants with appropriate training to substantially increase their income and nutrition levels. The technical skills and knowledge of the participants have been improved, which helps build up the capacity for the long-term development of Tibetan Communities. Most of the project families hope to double or even treble their income in five years or less.

The Bó Vine Autumn 2004