Vietnam Women's Union

40 groups with the participation of 800 women were established in 4 communes of Tho Binh, Minh Quang (Chiem Hoa district), Thang Quan and Lang Quan (Yen Son district).

To help women gain knowledge and new methods of doing business, district project management arranged for some project staffs, heads and assistants of groups to go on field trips and learn from experience in some other provinces of Nam Dinh, Ha Nam, Nghe An and Lang Son to name a few. Through these visits, women gained more knowledge on project management, especially credit management and enterprise development. At the same time, they learned from experience of good models of planting flowers, fruit trees, and developing collective economy. Along with learning from experience, women borrowed money in many forms with the capital of 1.4 billion VND (69% women are ethnic minority groups). Women have invested loans in planting peanut, raising fattened bufallos, fishes, ducks, and clothing to name a few. 22 models were applied. 100% of women invested borrowed money effectively and paid capital and interest on due time.

Savings activity was implemented by regulations of the enterprise group. Group members met once a month to exchange experience of developing enterprise and at the same time deposited 20,000 VND/member as their savings thus raising the total savings up to 400 million VND. The saving is not so big but it shapes women’s awareness about saving practice and builds up capital for further investment in their enterprises.

With the target of helping poor women improve their living standard and access to human resource development and other activities of the project. So far, women members from 2 groups have been provided 1069 loans worthy of more than VND 600 million to develop their bussiness and producton such as raising fish and planting peanuts. 21 women were lent money without paying interest to buy production instruments. These economic development models have being replicated and brought about high economic returns.