Hunger elimination and poverty reduction program is one of biggest target in the essential service strategies of the government. The program has achieved certain accomplishments when the entire machinery of state and agencies are mobilized to fight hunger and poverty.
Poverty and ignorance are great barriers to residents in the Mekong delta. However, some people have not given up to their fate; they worked hard to alleviate the poverty and stabilize their living.
Take Huynh Mai Ly in district Vi Thuy in the Mekong delta province of Hau Giang as an example. When she got married, her parents gave 0,2 ha of paddy field to the newly married young couple. The crop usually failed, therefore they barely made ends meet. They were in despair when their twin baby boys were born.
She was preoccupied by seeking a job to escape poverty to bring up children. After many sleepless nights, she decided to knit water hyacinth into handicraft items like bags. She cannot remember the number of times she failed but her efforts have gone rewarded when her products are consumed.
The husband also learned how to net money from the neighbors. He at first bred pigs but it did not bring in much profit, he then raised snakehead fish. He achieved success with fish farm. The family’s economy is stable thanks to their determination to overcome difficulties.
The government supported the family VND12 million (US$600) last year. The couple spent their savings building a new house.
The program also got success in the Mekong delta province of Ca Mau which is famous for its poverty. Khmer ethnic minority group with a population of about one million has escaped from the poverty.
Mr. Kim Tay who has big family with 0,5 ha garden worked hard to grow high-yield vegetable and fruits and breed fish. His efforts have not been futile when he netted over VND100 million (US$5,000) per year from selling vegetable, fruits and fish.
Like Mr. Tay, inhabitants there grow trees and breed animal upon the demand. They therefore make rich from farming and breeding.
People in the Mekong delta province of Ben Tre enjoyed wealthy lives thanks to a project to support need women who earn money by collecting waste set up by the organization Terre des homes in 2004. The project managers have given loans with low interest to women who will conduct their own businesses to make money.
The entire machinery of state and relevant agencies have been mobilized to launch movements to make rich among farmers. Duong Tien Dung, deputy chairman of Ca Mau’s People’s Committee said the rate of poor household has decreased from 19.2 percent in 2006 to 8.15 percent in 2010. Most of needy households in communes can access to the preferential loan.
The program launched in 2005 has created jobs for 13,000 laborers, assisting to restore traditional industries and jobs for housewives.
Nguyen Quoc Bao, deputy head of Ben Tre’s People’s Committee, reported the province has satisfied its 5-year target of hunger elimination and poverty reduction a the poverty rate has fallen from 20,02 percent in 2005 to 9 percent this year. Nearly 30,000 poor families have raised their income in the province. The government has supported over 7,700 families to construct new houses, 12,000 people to pursuit vocational training to have stable jobs as well as transfer technologies of farming and breeding to farmers.
In the meantime, the Farmer Association in the Mekong delta province of Long An established funds to give farmers loan with low interest and help farmers to find market for their products.
Provinces have their own ways to assist farmers and need residents to fight poverty and hunger to reach its set targets.
