Organising and developing rural communities and helping local NGOs in Vietnam

Project region :

• Vinh Long province, Binh Minh district, Mekong delta
• Long My and Phung Hiep, Hau Giang province

Aim : Participative community development for the most deprived, the women and the ethnic minorities.

Course of action :

• create a Self Help Group forr micro-credit
• create a savings reserve
• organise communities thanks to schools, women’s groups, farmer’s association
• implement farming and veterinary training courses (basics)
• train 6 local coordinators to manage the programs
• improve farming techniques
• help commercialise local productions
• develop craft work and employment
• bring awareness of the position of women
• preventive health care and hygiene

A snowball project

The project first covered the Vinh Long province in the Binh Minh district, before spreading to Long My and Phung Hiep, districts of the Huang Giang province (following initiatives from local coordinators seeking our support). The project now covers an area 4 times bigger than originally planned, whilst still working with the same budget.

The micro-finance program for the most underprivileged is a success; annual incomes have been raised by an average of 25%. Local agriculture is up to 20% more efficient and around one hundred new jobs have been created
Many new infrastructures have been built: bridges and roads.
The communities’ participation in this project is remarkable: the villagers cover 80% of the cost of the roads and 60% of the cost of the bridges. On a socio-economic level the project is also a success as these villages are now opening up. Health and safety issues have also been addressed as the number of clean wells and latrines has risen substantially

Viet Nam Plus would like to extend this project to the Huang Giang districts and we are hoping to be in a position to help them in the near future.
 

Local partner : Viet Nam Plus
Duration : 5 years (December 2003 to December 2008)

See the photo album
 

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