Dateline ACT

Inner Mongolia 01/02

Donated sheep bring hope to shepherds of China's Inner Mongolia

Geneva, 29 November 2002
Diana Mavunduse

Si Qing spends most of his days herding his goats and sheep. Like many other shepherds of Inner Mongolia (Autonomous Region), he is still recovering from the devastating snowstorms of 2 years ago. The heavy snowfalls not only killed many of the animals of the region, but also laid waste to vast tracts of grazing land.

To counter the devastation caused by the natural disaster, a local organisation, Amity foundation, (which is a member of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International) launched a project to help 41 families who had suffered the biggest losses. Each family received 25 sheep - all ewes - and signed a 3-year contract to return 15% of new lambs born to support other families.

The sheep and goat of Inner Mongolia form the backbone of the region - a lifeline to Si Qing and all the other farmers who trade the animals for food and clothing. In turn, the money they earn from the animals is spent on education and health costs. The animals’ dung also provides fuel for cooking and heating during the bitter winters of the region, where temperatures can plummet to minus 50 degrees Celsius.

"All 1,025 sheep that had been donated, survived the cold winters yielding in total 22 lambs per family - well above the average," said Thor-Arne Prois, director for ACT International. Prois who recently visited the region said that, "the beneficiaries were concerned over the poor grazing conditions in the region". Historically millions of peasants were settled in Inner Mongolia during China’s takeover in 1911. Excessive cultivation turned the great grasslands into a vast desert and the Mongols who were completely dependent on the grasslands for survival, were forced to abandon their original homes and move to remote places.

According to Amity Foundation, the Autonomous Region now has a population of 23 million. 2,3 million people, call the grasslands, which occupy 80% of the region, home.

In an attempt to stop the desert encroaching even further, the government has now fenced large parts of the grazing areas, hoping that the grass will recover. This has forced Si Qing, and many others to become quasi-nomads, moving around from one piece of land to another, constantly in search of ‘greener pastures’.

Yet others like Siqibili and her husband Wuni Batuo, have given up their nomadic existence. They benefited from another Amity project known as "Covered Pen", in which 80 families were allocated land and provided with building materials, water and electricity. Their animals are now housed in small sheds to keep them warm during the cold winters.

In contrast to the vast grassland areas where families live far apart from each other, the Covered Pen project has brought families closer together. Siqibili says that she feels safe and at home within this small community, where the brick houses shield them from the cold. More importantly, they can now support each other in times of need.

The sheep were donated to the Inner Mongolia as part of the ACT Appeal number ASCN11 which is now closed.