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Straw Bale Houses
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Straw Bale Houses -- Madam Poon "I've Got a Chance" |
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Mrs. Pan lives in the province of Heilongjiang, in northeastern China, a place that used to be the industrial heartland of China, but with the conversion to a market economy, many factories have closed. She was laid off work years ago, joining many others who were unemployed. It was difficult for her to contribute to the family income. To make matters worse, her daughter became ill and required expensive medical treatments, sending her family deeply in debt. She, her husband, and their son longed for their daughter’s recovery.
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In 2002, she learned about an organization, ADRA, was building straw bale houses in her county, and the government wanted to combine this project with a greenhouse construction project. For those willing to build a straw bale house, the government would provide a loan to build a greenhouse. Mrs. Pan thought that she could raise vegetables to earn a living, so she grasped the opportunity. She was not sure about the durability of a straw bale house, but she believed that straw would be a good insulation material. After moving to her new home in 2002, she was surprised to experience the warmth and comfort of a straw bale home in winter. She only needed to burn a little bit of coal to heat the home, and she did not need to wear heavy clothes indoors as she did in her old brick house.She was successful in raising vegetables and was able to sell her produce at good prices. After two years she managed to pay off her debts.
Then in 2005 she realized that she could make more money raising pigs, so she converted the green house into a pig barn. The pig barn was so warm that she did not need to heat it at all in the winter. Now she is raising more than 40 pigs with plans to expand, and she expects her income to grow in coming years.
During a visit, she thankfully told ADRA staff that her daughter has recovered and is attending university, while her son is in the middle school. She supports their studies through raising pigs. She is so grateful that ADRA provided an opportunity for her family that she was able to grasp.
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Mrs. Pan lives in the province of Heilongjiang, in northeastern China, a place that used to be the industrial heartland of China, but with the conversion to a market economy, many factories have closed. She was laid off work years ago, joining many others who were unemployed. It was difficult for her to contribute to the family income. To make matters worse, her daughter became ill and required expensive medical treatments, sending her family deeply in debt. She, her husband, and their son longed for their daughter's recovery. 
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