Penny Power 2012 - Laos

 

The Canadian government has announced that it will no longer produce the humble penny. Wondering what to do you all your coins? Let them change the world! MCC's Penny Power coin drive continues this year and will support food projects in Laos.

Details on this project are coming soon - keep coming back for updates! in the mean time, start collecting your change and bring your rolled coins (or cheque) to the MCC Festival in Abbotsford in September or the MCC BC office.

 

Food for Work Makes it Possible

Last year, Ms. Bourphou grew ‘upland rice’ on a hillside near her thatched roof home. Compared to the much-preferred ‘paddy’ rice, which is grown in flat, irrigated fields, growing ‘upland rice’ is difficult and yields are low. Paddy rice produces two crops a year, while upland rice only produces one, since it is dependent on rainwater.

This year, she received a .7 hectare piece of paddy land from the local government to clear and cultivate. But this is not work she could do on her own and she ran the risk of losing the land - that’s where the MCC/ Foodgrains Bank project comes in.

Food-for-work crews, which receive rice in exchange for labour, are helping Ms. Bourphou keep her allocated land and get her land title certificate.  

“I’m very happy to get this paddy,” says Ms. Bourphou.

Over half of Ms. Bourphou’s new land is now clear. She expects to cultivate 40 bags of rice (at about 30kg per bag) from the first harvest.

“Owning paddy land means increased food and income for the family, as well as having something to leave for future generations,” says Theresa Rempel, a Foodgrains Bank Program Officer who recently visited Laos to monitor the project. 

The Canadian Foodgrains bank works with 15 denominations in Canada to provide food aid to people in need around the world. People in Canada are able to donate crops and money to support the CFGB, which then delivers the food where it is needed or supports food-related projects organized by partner organizations. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) generously matches donations to the CFGB 4:1, up to a maximum of $25 million annually.

 

Penny Power is a coin drive that originated in Pennsylvania and has continued for 13 years in BC.  Money is raised to support MCC's projects of peace, relief, and development around the world.  Coins and larger donations are collected and brought to relief sales throughout the province.  In BC, an MCC food project is chosen each year and monies are collected at the Abbotsford MCC Festival, Auction and Relief Sale.  Countries that Penny Power has supported in the past include India, Mozambique, Bangladesh, Sudan, Palestine, North Korea, Brazil, and Ethiopia.