Empowering Ethnic Minority Youth to Develop the Economy
For the past 17 years, Plan International Vietnam has been making a positive impact on Ha Giang Province. Their work in vocational training and livelihood development has enabled many young people and families to break free from poverty and create a sustainable future.
We accompanied Plan International's project officers in Ha Giang to visit Chang Thi Cham's household in Ta Nhiu Commune, Xin Man District. Cham said that she used to work as a factory worker far from home. However, after participating in Plan International's agricultural training courses, she has adopted new farming techniques. "Before, we mostly grew vegetables for livestock, but now I've applied new farming techniques and can sell some to others," she said.
In addition to agricultural support, Cham also received a meat grinder and molds from Plan International to make and sell meatloaf at home for 200,000 dong (approximately 8.02 US dollars)/kg. Because of this, she no longer has to worry about her family's finances. In Po Lo Commune, Hoang Su Phi District, Lu Tuan Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Po Lo Commune People's Committee, said that young people benefiting from the project received support in terms of seeds, livestock, equipment, and marketing skills to promote their products and connect with schools for distribution.
Lu Thi Lien's family used to primarily farm and produce tofu. Since participating in Plan International's bean production training and receiving bean-making machines and distribution connections to local schools, she now earns seven million dong (approximately 278 US dollars)/month. Similarly, Ly Thi Ly, after participating in training and product marketing, has expanded her vegetable garden to 7,000 strawberry plants on nearly 2,000m², generating an income of about 40 million dong (approximately 1,585 US dollars) per harvest through online sales.
Beyond improving livelihoods for young people in Ha Giang Province, the project has also supported the construction of six community learning centers in communes with full equipment to enable ethnic minority youth to connect, share, and search for market information, promoting and selling agricultural products.
Duong Van Tuy, Project Director in Ha Giang, said that to effectively implement the project, the Plan office in Ha Giang and its partners have organized a strict roadmap from enrollment to training activities. After three years of implementation from March 2021 to February 2024, the project has supported 1,920 young people aged 15 to 30 in eight communes, including Nan Ma, Ta Nhiu, and Nam Dan communes in Xin Man District and Tan Tien, Po Lo, Ban Luoc, Chien Pho, and Tu Nhan communes in Hoang Su Phi District, through 96 training courses on crop cultivation and livestock farming, four training courses on processing tofu, sausages, dried meat, honey, and a ginger essential oil, and 24 field trips to learn about and improve production skills to increase income./.
By Ngan Ha & Viet Cuong/VNP Translated by Hong Hanh