Even though she is only 16 years old, Đ.T. Hạnh from Thường Xuân district, Thanh Hóa province, plays a pivotal role in her family. Her father left before she was born, and since the age of 10, she has had to balance her studies, household chores, and caring for her mother, who struggles with mental health issues, as well as her frail grandparents. The family's financial difficulties have often led Hạnh to contemplate dropping out of school to work and support her family.
In 2022, Hạnh's family had the opportunity to participate in the Livestock Value Chain Promotion program as part of the Livelihood Support Project for Poor Families, sponsored by World Vision Vietnam (World Vision) and the Mavin Group. The program provided her family with 100 carefully selected, 3-day-old breeding ducks, which had already received essential vaccinations.
Hạnh's daily joy comes from taking care of her family's duck flock (Photo: World Vision).
In just 55 days of raising and caring for ducks, Hạnh's family earned a profit of 8.5 million Vietnamese dong. With this money, Hạnh was able to afford medical treatment and daily medication for her mother, leading to an improvement in her mother's health. These positive changes also gave Hạnh peace of mind and determination to continue her education. Despite being just 16 years old, she has maintained her status as an outstanding student in recent years.
In 2023, Hạnh's family continues to receive support from the program with 100 breeding ducks. After 54 days of raising them, the family earned 9.3 million Vietnamese dong.
"Participating in the project, our family received high-quality breeding ducks and guidance on effective and safe farming practices. Based on the farming experience of the past two years, our family will use some of the proceeds from selling ducks to purchase more breeding ducks and continue following the farming methods we have been taught," Hạnh shared.
According to statistics, during Phase I (from 2019 to 2021), in Như Xuân district, Thanh Hóa province, the Livelihood Support Project for Poor Families supported 206 farming households with a total budget of nearly 100,000 USD. The project provided support for breeding pigs, chickens, and ducks over three years to different households, while also assisting in connecting them to the product supply chain.
Additionally, every quarter, a "Clean Farming Model Sharing Workshop" is organized, with the participation of farmers, local government representatives, and sponsors. Through these workshops, effective farming experiences are widely shared, and technical support teams meticulously analyze difficulties and issues faced during the farming process, providing advice on how to improve animal quality and subsequently increase income for families.
In Phase II of the project (from 2022 to 2024), it is expected that 360 impoverished households in Thường Xuân, Thanh Hóa will receive support with a total aid package worth 100,000 USD. The project will continue to provide high-quality breeding stock, safe animal feed, and WHO-GMP standard veterinary drugs. Project officers will regularly visit and guide families in farming techniques, supporting capacity building for the households and ensuring the quality of animal products.
According to Mr. David John Whitehead, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mavin Group, the livelihood support program for poor households implemented by World Vision Vietnam and Mavin not only helps farmers escape poverty but also empowers them to confidently sustain and develop their family farming businesses. This contributes to the sustainable development of Vietnam's agriculture sector.