Two More Prototype Milk Processing Facilities Planned in 2002

After opening four milk processing plants in Kubin, Ungu Ri, Sinhung and Zhang Zong, two more facilities are set to open during 2002. A prototype Milk Processing Center means that the location has been set up and is run by experts from Campus für Christus with the goal of teaching the people in the local area the techniques for making yogurt and cheese. This proce-dure has been most successful in Kubin. In the area around Kubin, specific skills and know-ledge have been passed on to the nearby villages and cooperative farms so that the desired multiplication effect of the investment of assistance by Campus für Christus Switzerland has been achieved.


 

In 2002 we have the opportunity to build and open two new milk processing facilities at our current locations in Unzong and Namsan in addition to the facilities and programs which are already up and running. The only obstacle is the lack of qualified dairy experts to lend their expertise and management skills to these new locations.

We are depending on your assistance in locating the necessary personnel. Do you have experience in milk processing and/or cheese-making? Could you share your expertise with us? Please contact us if you are interested – or pass on the information to someone you know who fits the profile .



Local Churches Make the North Korea Project Their Missions Focus for 2002
The reformed church in the town of Konolfingen (near Bern) has come into partnership with Campus für Christus Switzerland by choosing the North Korea Project as their missions focus for the year. They will donate a portion of their weekly offerings and they have earmarked specific funds in their budget to give towards our project. They will inform their congregation of our progress through regular articles in their own newsletter, the first of which has already been published.
We have also planned to visit the congregation to give updates in Spring and Fall. Jürg and Marie-Anne Bühlmann will be speaking about their own experiences in North Korea.

The reformed church congregations in Konolfingen (near Bern) has committed to supporting the North Korea Project in 2002. (Photos: www.ref.ch/konolfingen )


Niklaus Rieben: A reu-nion in North Korea with two trainees in 1998.

  Ten North Korean Trainees Visit Switzerland

After a year-long break, we will again be able to welcome a group of North Korean trainees for instruction by local farmers in Switzerland in the summer of 2002. In addition to the hands-on training from the host-farmers, various instructional segments are planned with experts from the Rheinhof School for Agricultural Training in Salez (near St. Gallen). In order to give the trainees as many learning opportunities possible as well as the personal at-tention necessary to help them process so much new information in a relatively short time, we will be limiting this year’s group to only ten participants. All of the men will be hosted by farmers from the Oberland region near Bern. Niklaus Rieben is our very capable contact person in this region. He has worked as a volunteer for many years supporting and assisting the trainees and their host families to sort out personal, cultural, and other project-related difficulties. His help is also appreciated with organizational matters and in the coordination of the local instruction.
Due to this special connection with the Oberland , we will not be carrying out any training in our other location in eastern Switzerland, Lugnez in Bündnerland.

Special training in Growing Cultures

In this case „culture“ has nothing to do with Switzerland or North Korea, but rather the cultures necessary for making yogurt and cheese. A small group of North Korean milk process-ing experts will be able to take advantage of training at the Dairy and Food Center in Rütti in the various methods for growing bacterial cultures for yogurt and cheese production. For all our non-expert readers: There are different bacterial cultures and natural additives used in the making of both yogurt and cheese.
Up to now we have been using a combination of locally produced and imported additives and cultures. In the future our goal is to be able to produce enough good-quality cultures on site to discontinue the import of these materials by Campus für Christus. The course, which will train three or four experts, will take place from May 25th – June 18th, 2002 in Switzerland.

Great News: Agricultural Expert Daniel Gerster has committed to work another year with the North Korea Project!

In his latest newsletter, Daniel Gerster gives some reasons for wanting to continue his work with the project:

• Special Friendships: At the end of each trip abroad, I have had the feeling that I was leaving behind people whom I had just begun to get to know- and I wanted to get to know them better. In North Korea, the kind of personal contact that we have is almost the only way to really meet individual North Koreans with the goal of passing on to them even some small impression or word about my faith – or even just to be an example to them in a limited way.
• My own farm at home in Switzerland: When will I be able to get more involved in run-ning my parents' farm so that they can relax more? What things can be simplified at home? How can I help out even in my absence? My parents’ encouragement and support have been vitally important in my being able to leave home again to work for the Project.
• The Project: I have been able to start many things in North Korea that I want to see through to completion. In addition, my experience last year in North Korea was very satis-fying overall. I was not upset or stressed by the many „inconveniences“ of life in that country, but was able to really enjoy time spent working and interacting with the people. I look forward to having this opportunity once again.

Daniel Gerster instructs a North Korean farmer in the use of a mo-torized mower at the Project location in Kubin. The plants have al-ready grown so tall that mechanized help is necessary.

Daniel Gerster will be spending the next few weeks in England with our project leaders Jürg and Marie-Anne Bühlmann as they receive more instruction vital for the project. They will be participating in a special course designed to prepare individuals who are going to live in a new and different country and culture. This type of course should make living and working in North Korea easier since some much in that country is totally different from Europe!



Get your personal copy of the North Korea Newsletter regularly either in the printed version or as email.
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Earlier project updates (only in German): Januar 2001 / März 2001 / Juni 2001 / August 2001 / November 2002