“Your face to the earth, your back to the sun.” It’s an old proverb farmers in Vietnam use to describe their life on the land. But, because farms are small and the weather precarious, farmers here have to make the most of their land. Every crop counts, every year, with almost no wiggle room for drought or failed crops.

Mr. Tuan knows this. He remembers some tough years growing up on his family’s farm when crops didn’t come in. Now, with his own young family, he feels deeply the responsibility to provide. When Mr. Tuan heard of this project and the opportunity to install a biogas digester on his farm, he jumped at the chance.

It’s better now, he says with a big smile. Why? Because he uses the methane from the biogas digester as cooking fuel, so he saves money on charcoal. He uses the slurry from the digester as excellent fertilizer for his crops, so he doesn’t have to buy fertilizer anymore. Plus, he now has more crops to sell and more income for his family, which all adds up as savings for education, for health care, and for a future that now extends beyond the next growing season.

Planet Earth is also very pleased. With your support, over 158,000 biogas digesters are already in use in Vietnam, reducing greenhouse gas reductions by over 1 million tonnes annually, and benefitting over 550,000 people.

This calls for celebration. Mr. Tuan’s neighbor, who also uses a biogas digester for his new business, making and selling rice sake, which is reportedly quite fine, comes by with a small bottle. They raise the thimble-sized cups before they sip. Here’s to you, they say, for your support, for making this possible. Thank you!