On the day of this photo, the whole village of Buôm Khoang had their cows and buffaloes injected with the hemorrhagic septicemia vaccine. The vaccine was provided by the government free of charge. People just needed to pay 2,000 dong (10 US cents) for each syringe.
Before the cows are pulled into the bamboo crush for vaccination, the crush needs to be sprayed with disinfectant. When the vaccination is completed for the cattle of one household, the crush is disinfected again to avoid cross infection among cows of different owners.
Previously, I only knew about vaccinating and I did not spray disinfectant. Thanks to the Li-chăn project, I am now aware of disinfecting to prevent disease transmission. I hadn’t known about the crush until I took part in an artificial insemination training by the Li-chăn project. Without the crush, the cows run around, losing half a vaccine dose sometimes.
Before, there was no veterinary officer in Buôm Khoang village. I did not know where to ask for help when my cattle got sick. Since Mr. Nu has started working as a veterinary officer in the village, buffaloes, cows and pigs have been vaccinated. We hope he will have more training to improve his skills in treating the animals.
After receiving training from the Li-chăn project, he has been able to advise people on animal husbandry and has explained to us about vaccinations and check-ups for animals when they are sick. Recently, there has been an outbreak of lumpy skin disease in Buôm Khoang village. Given that the cows are grazing far from village, Mr. Nu instructed villagers to bring medicine and syringes to the grazing area for injection.
Narrator: Lý A Nủ (Hmong, 39 years old)
Photographer: Lý A Trống (Hmong, 43 years old)
Person in the photo:Lý A Nủ (Hmong, 39 years old)