Za Yat Kyaung…

Located in Central Myanmar’s Thaung Thar township, this community currently has 101 village customers, 5 of who are CBO (Community Based Organization) committee members helping to lead the loan program in the area. This village is located in Myanmar's dry zone, where insufficient rainfall is very common. Most villagers are Buddhist and struggle finding access to affordable credit, as the state-owned agricultural bank is not active in the area. Only a few farmers in this village can afford to buy a tractor to expedite the planting process. Instead of using a tractor, most…

Located in Central Myanmar’s Thaung Thar township, this community currently has 101 village customers, 5 of who are CBO (Community Based Organization) committee members helping to lead the loan program in the area. This village is located in Myanmar's dry zone, where insufficient rainfall is very common. Most villagers are Buddhist and struggle finding access to affordable credit, as the state-owned agricultural bank is not active in the area. Only a few farmers in this village can afford to buy a tractor to expedite the planting process. Instead of using a tractor, most farmers rent bulls for $10 a day. The cost of bulls and cows is higher than other livestock costs, such as those for goats and sheep. A new loan would enable the villagers to buy bulls, which are helpful for their farms because they reduce the need for manual labor and their manures act as natural fertilizer for the soil. Additionally, after they are used for many farming seasons, these bulls can be sold for additional income. Mechanization is especially important in this village as many young people who could be hired labor have moved to urban areas in search of economic opportunities. Pictured above are U Than, Daw Khine, U Khin, Ma Sein, and U Win. They are the committee members from the Za Yat Kyaung Village CBO. Included in the photo (second from the left) is 42-year-old Daw Khine, the mother of four children. One of her three children is still attending school. She invested her previous loan in seeds and fertilizer. With a new loan, she will buy cows to use on her farm.