CARE International helps ethnic minorities in Ha Giang
The People’s Committee of northern mountainous Ha Giang province and CARE International in Vietnam signed a framework cooperation agreement for the 2021-2026 period on March 24.
The agreement is expected to lay a foundation for the development of community projects regarding agriculture livelihoods, climate change response, gender equality enhancement, economic empowerment for women, market and value chain connectivity.
CARE pledged to launch a project to improve economic position of female ethnic minorities in Vietnam in six communes in the province's Quang Binh district at a total cost of VND23 billion (US$1 million).
Accordingly, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the People’s Committee of Quang Binh district will be responsible for implementing the project.
Its major components include improving the possibility of seeking income for poor ethnic minority women via agriculture and non-agriculture production, assisting them in saving and borrowing capital for economic development, improving business capacity of women-led businesses and cooperatives, offering support to those in remote and mountainous areas who have limited access to modern technology and lack land for production.
The provincial Women’s Union and relevant units will offer technical and human resources support for the project.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Permanent Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Hoang Gia Long wished that CARE International would continue expanding projects related to economic value chains underway in Ha Giang to help improve income for ethnic minorities.
He also committed all possible support to CARE International to effectively carry out the project.
Country Director of the CARE International in Vietnam Le Kim Dung said founded in 1945, CARE has partnered with international organisations and Vietnam since 1989 with over 300 projects.
From 2017 to 2020, it carried out two projects in Ha Giang, including one to improve partnership for fair and comprehensive development of ethnic minority communities and another to comprehensively promote finance for female ethnic minorities, at a total cost of VND7.7 billion (US$333,315).
Nearly 170,000 local households have received support in housing and production land for economic development. The rate of poor households was brought down to 22.29% last year from 43.6% in 2015.
