In March, Daniel Gerster, Agronomist, and Urs Bächtold, Cheese Making Expert and Nutrition Engineer FH, traveled to North Korea. The trip was mainly designed to gather information for the upcoming training course in the areas of milk processing and culture production for North Korean cheese makers in Switzerland. Urs Bächtold, who trained workers and monitored various Agape project facilities in 2003 and 2004, is responsible for coordinating the technical aspects of this new training program.

»We focused on technical issues the entire week. Each day we went out into the countryside to visit local workers, the main recipients of our efforts.
It was very motivating to realize how many technical advancements have been made over the years, but more importantly, we also saw how many personal relationships have stood the test of time and distance. We look forward to many more years of contact with these individuals – regardless of how the Agape partnership and local conditions develop in the future.
It was encouraging to see that many of the project locations have continued to process milk, mostly into yogurt, although we were forced to close the in-country office in early 2006.

Nevertheless, it seems that the overall system is limited, so that the project locations cannot grow and develop, and have seemed to stagnate somewhat. The challenges of daily life in nearly every area remain daunting.“

Daniel Gerster, Agronomist 

Dear Readers,  It was almost like coming home when I reached Samhun: familiar faces, eating lunch at the same place, sitting in the same chair at the table … The cook greeted us warmly and served us herself. This is not common - and I was overwhelmed.  I saw evidence of myself in many small details at the facility (cleanliness and general tidiness, just as I had taught them). Although some of the women have been transferred in the meantime, the knowledge has been successfully passed on to the next generation of workers. However, it was clear that they need continuing education and support. This is why we are organizing a specially tailored training program in Switzerland. The goal: to allow the local multiplication of cultures necessary for milk processing. Urs Bächtold, cheese making expert and nutrition engineer FH, working on behalf of Agape in North Korea

Maintenance Visits and Continuing Education Necessary

»The goal of our trip was to prepare the North Korean milk processing specialists for their training course in Switzerland, in part by assessing the current situation and their level of expertise, or difficulties, in milk processing and culture production.
During our visits at different locations, we met personally with workers and supervisors to hear about their successes as well as needs. We were also able to discuss the development of new products (Mozzarella or Cream Cheese), which the Koreans would like.

In short: Production continues, mostly in the form of yogurt. This is encouraging news! Our investments of knowledge, money and time were not in vain and have not been lost!

However, the production of cultures (lactic acid bacteria necessary for the production of cheese and yogurt) remains an obstacle. As long as these ingredients cannot be multiplied locally, each facility remains dependent on freeze-dried cultures, which can only be imported (with great difficulty) from abroad. The training course in Switzerland, with an emphasis on perfecting culture multiplication skills, is, therefore, extremely important. We saw clearly that the project facilities still require supervision. The basic elements, such as milk quality and the transport of the products are still problematic. When milk from an unhealthy goat is processed with good milk, the entire batch is ruined; during the warm summer months, the milk sours quickly or the yogurt sours before distribution. The list of challenges goes on …

Additional visits for supervision and consulting are necessary to progress; however, short trips are not enough, and longer stays are not possible at this time.

Urs Bächtold, Cheese making expert and nutrition engineer FH 
 
 

Technical Training in Switzerland Over the past few years, mostly women in various villages in North Korea have been trained as milk processing specialists. Depending on the amount of milk available, larger or smaller amounts of yogurt and sometimes cheese is being produced. The production of necessary lactic acid cultures remains an obstacle. We would like to make it possible for these women to receive additional training in their area of expertise. To this end, Daniel Gerster and Urs Bächtold are organizing an intensive training program in Switzerland. At the conclusion of the training course: Teaching others to make cultures The women will be working and training in a regular cheese-making facility and partially in laboratories at the ALP (Agroscope Liebefeld Posieux) as well as in specialized facilities for four months during the summer of 2008.At the end of this course, they will be able to multiply cultures, collect natural rennet – and most importantly: they will be able to instruct and monitor others in these processes. It is essential that everything learned in Switzerland have a significant and broad impact across North Korea. Many cooperative farms should benefit .

After leaving the monotone southern motorway, the road to the Samhun facility passes through broad fields and gentle hills. From time to time, we pass through small villages or see workers‘ brigades along the road. No matter how modest the settlement, every area is extremely clean and tidy.
People work in the fields, school yards are filled with children, doing calisthenics at the lead of their physical education instructor, involved in an organized game – or just playing after class, postponing the inevitable walk home.
The special thing about this journey is that people continually greet us along the way. As we near our destination, more and more adults and children wave back to us.
They lay aside their field work and wave, with welcoming smiles, to us in the car. Children stand on the side of the road, their eyes wide and mouths gaping. Their surprised expressions quickly transform into energetic waves and happy smiles. Sometimes I try to imagine traveling the same route on a bicycle and being able to stop and talk to the people, but this is only a dream – for now. We have no way on knowing just what these people know or think about us visiting foreigners. Their visible reactions alone encourage us. When we arrive at our destination, the many positive reactions along the way have already ensured that the trip will count as a success for us and that we will have been blessed by the experience.
Daniel Gerster 

Politically Meaningful, Reported Around the World, A Diplomatic and Artistic Coup – these were just some of the headlines surrounding a very special recent event in Pyongyang.

For the first time in the history of North Korea, American musicians – members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra – performed in Pyongyang. Playing for an audience of 1500 invited guests, the orchestra began with the national anthems of both countries, and continued with works by Richard Wagner, Antonin Dvo?ák, George Gershwin und Leonard Bernstein.
Director Lorin Maazel introduced each piece with a short explanation. This endeared him to the audience. A simple „enjoy the concert“ in Korean or his comment prefacing Gershwin‘s ‚An American in Paris‘ that, „one day perhaps an American will compose a piece entitled, ‚An American in Pyongyang‘ – music and words moved hearts. As the musicians began playing the Korean folksong „Arirang“, many listeners had tears in their eyes, reported one audience member.

At the end of the concert, the director and the musicians received enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation from the audience. The concert was broadcast on North Korean national television and in many nations around the world.

Anita Burckhardt 

 
 

»We are looking for financial support in order to begin the wind power project by building two small generators in Samhun.  The next step will be training 100-150 North Koreans as Wind Power Experts to expand the project throughout the country. The required funding for these initial steps is CHF 150,000.00 Thanks to your generous donations we already have 50% of the required funding secured. We appreciate your continued support!  The Next Step: Research Trip In May, Stefan Burckhardt will travel through China with 5 North Korean experts on a two-week information-gathering tour. They will visit existing wind-power generating plants, observe the manufacturing process for wind turbines and solar cells and learn all the necessary steps to provide isolated villages with electricity.  The Chinese have made great strides in this area in recent years. Their work can act as a model for North Korea. The participants are very motivated for this trip and expectations are high.

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