As one of the most influential local NGOs, Ye Cao focuses on environmental protection. After the May 12th earthquake, they began to do some projects combining environmental protection and quake relief.
SQR visited them last Thursday to get more information about what Chinese NGOs or Chengdu local NGOs are doing and to search for some opportunities to cooperate with them.
What have they done in the past few months?
In the past few months, they were doing a project called ecological W.C. for public use in villages in Mianzhu, Jiu Zhai Gou and Pengzhou.
What are they doing now?
Project one: Ecological washroom for family use
Recently they have begun another related project, still about toilets but for family use. They are doing this project for 108 families in Guang Han.
They will hold a forum about ecological washrooms on 18th September 2008. Some specialists, organizations, NGOs and the media will attend this forum. They hope a representative of SQR can attend the forum.
Project two: Organic crop
The other project they are working on is organic crops project. They plan to use a piece of land for a demonstration to local people. When the idea attracts any local farmer, they will teach the methods to plant organic crops.
Now they have finished project design and location collection.
Because full preparation work for a project usually take an NGO three months. So now they are prioritising the ecological washroom. When they finish this, they will get down to work on the second project.
Ye Cao culture is a Chengdu native NGO. It has good network with Chinese NGOs or some Chinese branches of foreign NGO. They go to affected areas regularly, and develop good relationships with local government. They are also familiar with some other NGOs’ regular project sites. Their members are all Sichuanese natives, so they perhaps have a better understanding with people and situations in the affected area. They have almost no contact with foreign NGOs. They are lacking in resources in this field.
Tags: Chengdu, demonstration, Jiu Zhai Gou, Mianzhu, organic crops, Pengzhou, toilet, Ye Cao