Two Stops Past Siberia

Buy a Tree

 
So, here’s the deal. I’ve got until May 5th to raise $1,750, and the sooner the better. Here’s the skinny:

There is a cooperative on Lake Issyk Kul. They grow fruit trees saplings. But they do more than just that. They also deliver them, and hold seminars in the villages where they deliver them, teaching people where the best places to plant them are, and the proper ways to maintain them. It’s a full service system, and entirely sustainable. Not to mention, the trees are just three and a half dollars a piece.

A little background: as most of you know, I work with the UNDP here in Naryn city. We do work with the Kyrgyzstan New Zealand Rural Trust. As most of you also know, information here, especially timely information, is hard to come by. I just learned that this KNZRT just funded a project like this, and in learning that, learned that I could do it myself.

But there are two catches. The first is that the last day to place an order with them is May 5th. Had I known earlier, I’d have written about it then, but as is life. Second, the minimum order is 500. You got it, 500 trees at three and a half dollars a pop makes $1,750 dollars. If we raise that, we get trees this year. If not, your money waits in a pool and next year we buy boatloads.

Project Particulars

This is the first time we are doing this, though we’ll plan on making it annual. This year, we are working in the village of Orto Nura, and our partner is an English teaching volunteer named Rachel. Her host dad, Kochkunbek, is a real go getter. When I shopped around among the village volunteers, after talking to her, went up and called me directly.

I told him how the project would work, and he agreed to it. Him, being a savvy farmer, insisted himself that the project must happen quickly, as the ground was quickly warming, and planting must happen soon. Furthermore, he has agreed to find the villagers in the most need. After our donation service takes it’s percent, a community contribution is required on the part of the villagers. We’ve asked for 10% of the price of each tree. On top of that, Mr. Kochkunbek has organized with the village government that we be allowed to use their space to distribute the trees, and conduct the training seminar, in fund raising lingo, these elements are called the “community contribution.” This ensures that the receivers of the goods are invested in the project, and it’s sustainability.

Summary

Fruit trees are a big deal out here. They bring much appreciated variety to the Kyrgyz diet, as well as much needed vitamins. Along with eating and selling the fruits as is, people also boil them down with sugar, and make them into sweet, bread-dipping jams. They’ll make jars and jars of this stuff, and bring them out, one by one, all winter long. The limiting factor out here isn’t time or space, or even money, so much as it is access. Folks need access to high quality merchandise, plus good information on how to maintain their purchases. This project takes care of all of those things.

Now, as for where you come in. Provided below is a nice little link to our project on the fancy little “Chip In” website. They will allow you to make a donation to this cause with the same ease that you could buy a new ChiaPet from Amazon or a Beanie Baby from eBay.

In our case, though, you are buying trees. I suggest buying at least 5 trees. That’s $17.50. I wish it were a nice even number, but what can you do?

What’s $17.50, anyway? Almost a rack of ice cold Pabst Blue Ribbon? Three DVDs from Blockbuster, due back in a week? One really good martini? Out here, it’s five saplings, delivered and instructed, to a very poor, very remote part of our little world.

For anyone interested in seeing the project proposal itself, in fancy, formal form, click here.