NZ support programme starts landslide development in Cao Bang

The NZD$2.28-million (US$1.52 million) “Building Strong and Resilient Communities in Rural Cao Bang” project, operating between 2014 and 2019, provides a range of supporting mechanisms to around 1,700 local households in the province, who are mostly from poor ethnic minority communities in Tra Linh and Quang Uyen districts. The targeted neighbourhoods are situated in the far north of the country and habitually lack access to economic opportunities, as well as suffer from limited arable land areas to grow crops and vegetables. 

“Our partnership with ChildFund Vietnam and ChildFund New Zealand has helped the development of certain parts of Cao Bang province,” said Haike Manning, New Zealand’s Ambassador to Vietnam, during his visit to the communities involved in the project during March 21-23. “The impact on locals that we can see is an increase in real income and improvement in agricultural practices.” 

The support programme aims to be realistic in a sense that it provides local farmers with new income generation schemes, through village credit facilities and so-called cow banks, as well as goat and pig rearing models. In addition, locals will also be sufficiently trained to improve production techniques, to farm rice, and raise livestock effectively.

Aside from these activities, the project also took on constructing irrigation canal systems, training agricultural techniques for different crops and livestock, and market-need vocational training to local youth.  

“Our investment in Cao Bang is an example of New Zealand’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities across Vietnam to strengthen their ability to decide their own future, and to live to their full potential,” stressed Manning.

As part of the project activities in Cao Bang, Manning handed over four cows to four families in Cao Chuong commune, Tra Linh district, which will subsequently give them a small herd to start off with and improve their earnings. The cows come from the project’s cow bank, which was set up to help poor families by covering most of the upfront cost of livestock, with a flexible repayment schedule after 18 months, allowing farmers to either return the original cow or an offspring. 

“By lending out up to 90 per cent of the cow value, farmers only need to cover the remainder by themselves. We then let them take responsibility, to make decisions and take action towards their investment goals, for their own benefit,” shared Vuong Dinh Giap, ChildFund Vietnam’s programme operations manager. “While funding may only be available in the short-term, the effect will be decidedly in the long-run, as it creates a sustainable earning scheme for the community.”

“Our cows cost VND19.8 million (US$908) and will be mostly used in our farming activities,” said Long Van Lang, one of the four families receiving a cow in the commune, adding that when his cow gave birth to a calf, he would return the mother to the cow bank, which will then be lent out to another family in the commune.

Similar to the cow bank, goat and pig rearing models have also proven to be effective aid to the locals, with numerous families confirming results with their growing number of healthy cattle and added value to the quality of livestock. Other families, that do not qualify under the livestock banks, have also started to borrow from local banks to buy livestock, and are following the improved rearing techniques taught through the project, turning it to their benefit. 

“The idea behind the project is to build capacity and ability for the locals to forge a sustainable path on their own, for themselves, and their future as well,” noted Manning.