Summary of the Project "No Voice - No Equal Future" in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province

Over more than a year of implementation, the project "No Voice - No Equal Future" has carried out many training activities to help Bac Ha locals, especially women and children, identify and take specific actions to eliminate gender stereotypes and norms, as well as protect themselves from violence, stigma, and discrimination.

 

In addition, the project also deployed 15 interest-free loan support packages worth a total of 150 million VND for 15 ethnic minority women in difficult circumstances, helping to improve their knowledge and skills in livestock care, thereby enhancing their status and voice. To date, 12 women have repaid their loans, and 3 continue to use the loans for economic development and will repay them within the next year.

 

"Since participating in the project, I have changed a lot, becoming more confident in society, and organizing household chores neatly. My husband and I love and help each other more in household work," shared Ms. Giang Thi Di, one of the women who received loans from the project.

 

 

"Last year, I received a loan of 10 million VND. I bought three pigs and built a two-section pen. A year later, I sold them for over 12 million VND. Now I have bought two more pigs to raise. Before receiving the loan, my family was struggling, but this loan has helped us a lot," shared Ms. Hau Thi Mi from San Bay village.

 

"Previously, I only raised livestock based on experience, feeding them whatever was available at home. When the animals got sick, I didn't know what medicine to buy. The training sessions in the program have provided me with the necessary knowledge and skills to raise pigs and chickens better. I now know which medicines to buy when the animals get sick and how to build clean and sturdy pens for them," shared Ms. Lo Thi May from Ngai Phang Cho village, Giang Thai Pho commune.

These are positive feedbacks from the women receiving interest-free loans from the loan support fund and participating in livestock training sessions within the framework of the "No Voice - No Equal Future" project implemented by the Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) in Giang Thai Pho commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai province

After one year of receiving the loan support, the livestock bought with the loan funds have grown and reproduced. Some households have earned between 12 to 16 million VND from selling part of the livestock, enough to repay the principal and earn a profit of 2-6 million VND. This money will be used for reinvestment and development of the livestock in the future.

Ms. Ha Thi Khanh Huyen, president of the Women's Union of Lào Cai province, shared that ethnic minority women and children in Lao Cai, especially in Bac Ha district, are facing many difficulties in awareness and economic life. The interest-free loan have had a very positive impact, helping women improve their economies and their increase family income.

The loan support fund came from the "Let’s orange with TH - Action to End Violence Against Women and Children" campaign in 2022. This activity responded to the 2022 UNiTE campaign of the United Nations, implemented by VSF and TH Group in collaboration with UN Women. 238,000 orange products of TH were sold, corresponding to a fundraising amount of 149,940,000 VND (with each product sold, the Vietnam Fund for the Protection of Children contributed 630 VND to the loan support fund for victims of violence).

In addition, within the framework of the project, VSF sponsors tuition and living expenses for 3 disadvantaged children in the area for 3 years, with a total value of 108 million VND, raised from more than 1,000 individual sponsors.

Join VSF in spreading these positive values to the community!

-----------------------------

 

The "Contributing Voices - Increasing Equality" project, implemented by VSF and TH Group in collaboration with the Women's Union of Lao Cai province and Bac Hà district, has been running since May 2023 with a total budget of over 500 million VND. After one year, the program has organized many activities to help highland women and children recognize and eliminate gender stereotypes and protect themselves. Additionally, 15 ethnic minority women have been supported with interest-free loans totaling 150 million VND, aiming to enhance skills and improve lives through the loan support fund originating from the 2022 "Let’s Orange with TH - Action to End Violence Against Women and Children" campaign.