Captivating MUSHROOMS – an update on our Pilot program

We are part way through our Captivating Mushroom program being piloted just below Russia in Heilongjiang Province. Several of our poorest-of-the-poor families in our Heilongjiang Project 200 initiative are testing to see whether this is a sustainable income generating solution for them.  Thanks to the volunteer expertise of one of the local retired school-masters, initial results are positive.  The program concludes in October at which point we will know whether it has achieved profitable success.  If so, it will be replicated to more families.

Lin Zhi Wei and his family were one of the recipients.  They are currently working their 1,250 “bags” of mushrooms supplied by Captivating.  The father of this family was badly burned several years ago and has struggled to earn sufficient income ever since.  He was extremely motivated to be part of this initial pilot program and the whole family are so enthusiastic about it implementing it to the exact specifications of the training provided.  Each bag provides three yields of mushrooms over a two to three month period.  The mushrooms are dried by the families then purchased by a mushroom packaging company (or sold by the family at market should they choose).

This pilot program was able to move ahead thanks to a generous Australian family who has underwritten this project and our work in Heilongjiang Province. You too can get involved with Project 200.  At this present time we have over 100 children in this program who are still in need of a sponsor. You can see these children at http://captivating.org/selection/sponsor. You can also read our blog on this project and watch a video about Project 200 by clicking here http://www.captivating.org/blog/category/heilongjiang-p200/

(Pictured:  Above – Jianjun Bi, Captivating Project Director who oversees this Heilongjiang initiative and is responsible for the pilot project.  Right – Phoenix, our on-the-ground support person, oversees this project. Below – sponsored children Hao Yuan Yuan and Li Jia Wei who’s families are also part of the mushrooms program).