China

In 1999, the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation partnered with CARE for the first time on a project in Du'an County in the Guangxi Province of China. Some factors that contribute to poverty in this area include:

• An annual income of only $62 per person
• Difficult agricultural conditions and soil erosion due to high rainfall, overgrazing, and deforestation
• Increasingly distant firewood sources, essential for cooking and heat

Building a better community for the people of Du'an County

Through this project, community members learned about sustainable forest management and alternative income sources. With the support of the Weyerhaeuser Company Foundation, CARE provided Du'an community members with trees to plant on deforested hillsides; these trees both stabilize the slopes and provide wood for the future. Each family taking part in the project learned how to efficiently grow, nurture, and harvest trees in a sustainable manner.

Community members also:

• Pooled their resources to purchase fuel-efficient stoves. These stoves use alternative fuels to heat water and cook food, which means that scarce trees can be saved for other uses.
• Planted fruit trees for sustainable produce. The produce is sold at a local market, increasing family incomes.