From Heifer
We returned to the Heifer Vietnam project in the Binh Thanh village in the Ben Tre province on the first day of a hot and muggy summer in April. Welcoming us at the hall of People’s Committee of Binh Thanh was Nguyen Van Hung, chairman of Binh Thanh village. Overjoyed, he said, “Today, I will take you visit Thanh Tan hamlet and see its changes since Heifer [International] arrived three years ago.”
Photo courtesy of Heifer International.
The project is a partnership between Novus International Inc. and Heifer Vietnam. It aims to empower needy households. The project began in March 2010 and today, 120 original families have already passed on one cow, a $100 revolving fund, financial support for cow shed construction, livestock vaccinations, grass seedlings and training. Currently, there are 10 self-help groups (SHG) formed and developing their group savings fund. They continue to promote sustainable farming models and conduct activities to improve the environment.
Our small party walked on the asphalt road, which is the key dyke preventing salinity penetration. We recalled the first days, when Heifer Vietnam staff arrived and conducted a baseline survey and project household selection in the village. At that time, the rain had created a muddy and slippery path, but today we enjoyed walking on the new road.
At a crossroads, Hung stopped and laughed loudly. His voice blended with the wind, “There it is! There it is!” he said. We saw a small cement bridge connecting two river banks. The bridge was the dream of villagers living in the island village of Thanh Tan. For the last 40 years, villagers had to travel by boat to reach schools, hospitals and markets. They also had to pay middlemen transportation fees to sell their farm products at lower prices.
Read the full story from the Heifer.
