Arirang
A report from Daniel Gerster, Agricultural Expert for the project:
„Welcome to Korea!“  North Korea is celebrating its Springtime Festival (called Arirang which means „party“ or „festival“) and has invited tourists from all around the world to take part. Visitors are welcome to join in the huge synchronized gymnastics show – a spectacle unique to the Korean culture in which thousands participate – and to see for themselves the many beautiful sites in the capital, Pyongyang.

Large-group dance to honor the 90th birthday of the deceased leader Kim Il Sung


Korea has simplified its visa application process in order to attract as many visitors as possi-ble. The show is certainly worth the long journey and runs until the middle of July. Tickets cost from $50.00 - $300.00. Tourists also have to pay around $90.00 for a hotel room. You should allow about one week to see the sites and take in a performance of the show.

Food Reserves in North Korea Alarmingly Low
The good news: There was ample rainfall in April and May so that spring harvest should be more plentiful than in years past.
The bad news: Conditions remain precarious as the prognosis for the summer months indi-cates another shortage of food for distribution. According to information from the UN, all re-serves will be exhausted by the end of June. It will be possible to restock the supply after the wheat and cabbage harvests, but this will not be enough to tide the nation over until rice, corn and other field crops are ready for harvest later in the year.
Various organizations, such as the UN, that have given very large amounts of food-aid in past years are also facing financial difficulties. Their donors have moved their support to other causes, such as Afghanistan, so that North Korea no longer attracts the large donations it did in the past. For example, this year, UNICEF can only provide funds for 29 % of the current budget. It is also to be expected that after 7 years of humanitarian aid, most donors have lost their motivation to support this country.
Campus for Christus has not planned to deliver any food aid this year. Our aid will continue to be focused on effective education and practical support which will make a long-term im-pact. We will, however, continue to monitor the opportunities and general need for food dis-tribution so that we can react as necessary.

How can you help?  Give a Milkcan!
Jürg Bühlmann shares: „I just returned to Switzerland from my time in Pyongyang this spring. My wife and I visited several project locations and were pleased to find good conditions and results in all areas (i.e. young goat kids, lush green fodder fields, etc.). The local leaders in our facilities continue to be motivated and interested in improving living conditions in their areas. We noticed that milk-processing remains an important priority among the people and the Min-istry of Agriculture, which is actively promoting our programs on all levels of the agency.
 

Young goat kids in the underbrush	This kid gets special treatment: a bottle-feeding

In order to expand yoghurt production, new milkcans are needed in many places. We are able to purchase some locally produced milkcans, but the quality of the material and production is not very good. The thorough cleaning of the cans and other utensils shows the commitment to high standards of cleanliness in order to prevent infection from unwanted bacteria. However, the poor quality welding on the Korean cans causes problems in the cleaning process. For this reason, we prefer to buy milkcans from China. These are not as high-quality as Swiss cans, but they are much better than the Korean ones and the logistics of transport are much easier to organize.  It is our goal to provide milkcans for many locations this year.  One 20L milkcan costs CHF 140.00.  How about making a donation with real practical value? Thank you in advance for your help and support in this cause!”



High Quality Milkcans – Scarce in North Korea

Further Financial Needs: Transportation
Last year we were unable to purchase a much needed automobile because of lack of available funds, nevertheless, a critical need remains.
On the one hand, we want to help the people in Unzong by providing a small van for them to use to transport their crops; up to now everything has had to be carried by hand or on people’s backs.
On the other hand, three other locations could also benefit from having a small vehicle to transport milk to the processing centers. For example, in Byong Pun Dok, it is especially im-portant that the goat’s milk reaches the facility quickly so that processing can begin before the milk quality suffers. The vehicles could also be used for the distribution of our products (yo-ghurt and cheese).
In addition, our project team needs a new car.  The motor in our Toyota Landcruiser exploded during the journey to Pyongyang Airport , and it cannot be repaired. As a result, our mobility is very limited at present because we only have access to one four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Another aid organization, which is bringing its work in North Korea to a close, is considering offering us their vehicle at a very generous price.

North Koreans in the Berner Oberland
On May 26th, seven North Korean farmers landed at the Zurich Airport to begin their practical training in Switzerland. After a short training session at the Rheinhof Agricultural School in Salez (SG), the men will move in with their Swiss host-families. During a 15-week period, they will have the opportunity to learn about Swiss mountain-farming firsthand. The host-families are very enthusiastic but also aware of the stresses asso-ciated with getting to know and then working together with a person from a foreign culture.
By living and working so closely together, our Korean guests are able gain vast amounts of agricultural knowledge as well as experience a new culture. They have never traveled outside their own country, and have heard mostly negative things about other nations.

Also in this case, it takes many individuals working together to guarantee that our guests have a pleasant and profitable stay in Switzerland. One example: The group of men arrived in Switzerland with very few personal belongings. So that they would have the appropriate clothing for working in fields and barns, Silvia Günter packed a suitcase for each man filled to the brim with work overalls, sturdy boots, several T-shirts, sweatshirts, underwear, a raincoat and pants as well as a suit and tie for dressier occasions.


A suitcase packed with love –  there is even a nice tie!




Training for Experts in Culture Production
Since the end of May, a 4-man delegation from North Korea has been in Switzerland to study and receive training in the production of cultures for making yoghurt and cheese. As a result, we look forward to being able to produce all the necessary cultures for our milk-processing facilities in Pyongyang. This will reduce dependence on foreign culture production or the im-porting of needed cultures by Campus for Christus.

Your Support is very Valuable!
For the past 8 years, Campus for Christus has been at work in North Korea, and we have been able to expand our area of activity each year. Today, through our many project locations, we are able to reach more than 12,000 people to provide them with improved quality food prod-ucts. The graduates of the training program in Switzerland, to-date 60 people, are able to pass on their knowledge and skills to countless others in agricultural production facilities through-out North Korea. The number of people influenced by this project is immense.
As a supporter of our project, you contribute directly to the extension of this influence.

Your support makes an impact on an entire nation!

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