Tag Archives: Heifer Vietnam

From the Field: Dreams Become Reality

Posted on by
0

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field”From the Field section.

Gegham, a 13-year-old rural youth engaged in Heifer Armenia’s Young Agriculturists Network of Armenia (YANOA) project, dreamed of establishing his own duck farm. He developed a business plan through his local YES! Youth Club and was awarded a $100 seed grant to put his plan into action. His little farm quickly grew and Gegham passed on his seed grant to another youth. He said he does his best to learn about the ducks well-being and how to give proper care.

Thirteen-year- old Gegham started a duck farm using a $100 seed grant from Heifer Armenia. Photo by Anna Arakelyan, Business Education Expert, Development Principles NGO

Thirteen-year- old Gegham started a duck farm using a $100 seed grant from Heifer Armenia. Photo by Anna Arakelyan, Business Education Expert, Development Principles NGO

In Vietnam, one Heifer family is enhancing their impact with promising results. Tran Thi Cuc Huong and her husband, Nguyen Van Lieu, grow coconuts, dragon fruit and morning glory and raise chickens and pigs. They use a biogas system to turn pig manure into methane for cooking and electricity, which also prevents their ponds from being polluted. Huong said their dreams of expanding and helping others only became a reality with hard work, creativity and knowledge from Heifer’s trainings.

For 61 new project families in Gui Xi Village, China, the dream of ending hunger and poverty is taking its first steps. The village’s first Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony in April 2013, presented these families with gifts of livestock and welcomed them into a community achieving promising results of improved living conditions, education and health. The new families agreed to Pass on the Gifts and continue to spread unity and love in their community.

Learn how you can help dreams become reality

From the Field: Global Empowerment Launches Women’s Future

Posted on by
1

This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field”From the Field section.

Editor’s note: Empowering women is at the core of Heifer International’s model for sustainable development. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, this week we are sharing stories of the women with whom Heifer works, who take the gifts of livestock and education to produce extraordinary results for themselves, their families and their communities.

Eka and Guri

Eka Surameli and her son Guri, pick tomatoes in their garden. Photo by Nino Tskhadadze

Eka Surameli, a 42-year-old mother of four children and two grandchildren, lost her home and livelihood during the Russian-Georgian war. The family left their garden and orchard unattended when soldiers forcefully emptied the Georgian border village. After the war ended in 2008, villagers returned to destroyed homes, burned fields and the continuing echo of gunfire.

Eka attended training on modern agricultural technologies through the Rural Development for Future Georgia (RDFG) organization and learned how to better maintain her garden and orchard. She worries her children will never forget the cruelty of war, but because of Heifer’s partnership with RDFG, she has hope for a peaceful future.

On February 22, 2013, Heifer Cambodia and its partner, Gender and Development for Cambodia, launched the three-year project Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights and Socio-Economic Empowerment. The European Union awarded about $1,441,720 in funding to help the project promote gender equality and women’s participation in sustainable socioeconomic development in Cambodia. Keo Keang, country director of Heifer Cambodia, said the impact on women’s lives will increase their self-confidence and also make a positive change in the expectations and behavior of men, families and communities.

Trinh Thi Phuong Dung, Heifer Vietnam

Heifer Vietnam project participant Trinh Thi Phuong Dung stands next to her family’s sugarcane field. Photo by Maria Lynn Wrabel, courtesy of Heifer International.

 

As a child, Heifer Vietnam participant Trinh Thi Phuong Dung was only allowed to complete the fifth grade. Understanding the importance of education, Dung and her husband have worked hard to finance their son’s and two daughters’ college educations. The couple began raising catfish and sugarcane with a $100 revolving fund through Heifer Vietnam. Dung and her family also help support their community by hosting monthly meetings for project participants to share experiences, ask questions and offer advice.

Empower more women with Heifer on International Women’s Day.

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

Posted on by
0

While you are out surfing cyberspace, please check out Heifer.org’s new section: “From the Field.” Click the friendly goat for stories about the amazing work Heifer does around the world every single day.

This “From the Field” blog post is the first of a weekly round-up of the latest stories shared in the ”From the Field” section of Heifer.org.
Learn how the next generation is working in Armenia to make sure the Earth is a healthy and happy place to live in Armenian Youth Care for the Earth. Find out how the simple gift of a sow in Georgia made the biggest difference in Pigs Mean Financial Relief for the Gabunia Family. Finally, Heifer Vietnam takes the opportunity during a regularly scheduled project partner meeting to celebrate Heifer’s 25 years of work in Vietnam with a special video that really takes you back.

Heifer Cornerstones for All Ages in Vietnam

Posted on by
0

 

Children Learn Cornerstones in Vietnam

Children learn Cornerstones in Vietnam

Story and photos by: Phan Nguyen Khanh Trang, Program Officer, Heifer Vietnam

Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development are the key values and principles of Heifer’s work to improve the livelihoods of poor farmers and build communities holistically. Over the past few years, the Cornerstones have been the compass that guides project activities to achieve the greatest possible impact.

On July 22, Heifer Vietnam and its project partners held a Cornerstones introduction in Vietnam’s Tan Long village, Vinh Long province. The audience consisted of children ages 4-12, who attend local primary and secondary schools. “Our children enjoy learning about the 12 Cornerstones,” said course instructor Mr. Hai. “This is a useful activity for the children, especially during the summer.”

At 90 minutes, the introduction was brief enough for the children to understand the Cornerstones. They learned how to practice and apply the values in their everyday lives. Specifically, they were taught that they can study hard, assist their parents with chores, help friends in need and contribute to keeping their homes and environment clean.

The training included many games, giving the children an opportunity to play and practice the Cornerstones. They enjoyed drawing and coloring, solving jigsaw puzzles, and question and answer sessions. “I love the puzzle game,” said Chi, a student. “This is the first time I’ve played it. I will improve the environment by sweeping our house and growing more flowers regularly.”

The children’s eyes shined with eagerness when they talked about their plans. Seven-year-old Cuong said, “I would like to be a good person. I’ll help elder people cross the street and give my friends a lift when they have to walk to school.” Twelve-year-old Dinh Phat Loc added, “I would like to become a doctor to help cure as many sick people as possible.”

Tuyet Nga, the father of a project participant, used to think the 12 Cornerstones were reserved for project members. “Now I know that the 12 Cornerstones are applicable and practical for people of all ages,” he said. “Thank you, Heifer, for caring not only for our physical lives, but our spiritual lives, as well. I hope Heifer will have more meaningful activities for us in the future.”

 

 

For the Love of the Children: Lessons Learned in Vietnam

Posted on by
0

Community Facilitator Nguyen Thai Loc opens milk box for young child in Soc Trang province

Story by: Maggie Thomas, Program Assistant for Asia/South Pacific Program, Heifer International

Photo by: Nguyen Xuan Quyen, Communication and Networking Officer, Heifer Vietnam

I always expect to see new things and meet interesting people when visiting a project in the field. I was not disappointed during my recent visit to Vietnam. As we visited the homes of our project participants in Soc Trang Province last week, we noticed a young man in our group quietly reaching into his bag, bringing out small boxes of milk and giving them to the children of the family. He bent down to their level and spoke sweetly to them as he helped them open the straw and put it in the cardboard carton. After seeing the attention and compassion that this man showed with the children of the community (especially when most people would be focused on the “foreign visitors” rather than paying attention to the children), we decided that we had to know more about this man and what drove him to do what he does.

We learned that he was 23-year-old Nguyen Thai Loc, Community Facilitator for project 22-0775-28, Improving farm households’ capacity in Long Phu district, Soc Trang province. As Community Facilitator, Loc is project-based staff of Heifer’s project partner, the local authority of Soc Trang, and his job is to walk hand-in-hand with the community, supporting them in their transformational journey. He is the front-liner in working with six self-help groups, or approximately 120 families, in this community. (This amount will double when the original six groups pass on the gift.)

Normally, Loc spends his afternoons and evenings visiting the project families when the farmers come back home from working. He discusses the families’ health, gives support on their animals and enterprises, and encourages their increased participation in the community initiatives during these visits. Loc is also intensively involved in the monthly meetings and various trainings of each self-help group. He arrives for each event a couple of hours early to prepare, facilitating some trainings himself and inviting experts for technical topics. Loc feels a great deal of fulfillment from these trainings. He loves to see the groups light up with understanding of the topic, develop their action plans, and eventually see their visions realized. Once he completes his education, he plans to work for the local authority so that he can continue to serve these families and help them transform their community.

Most of the families in this area are from the Khmer minority, uncomfortable speaking Vietnamese, and thus isolated from the mainstream culture of the country. However, though Loc is not Khmer, he is from the project community and can easily relate to and communicate freely with the families in their own language.

Loc purchases the milk that he distributes with the money from his own pocket, though he is currently a college student and his salary is modest. When we asked why he does it, he told our translator matter-of-factly, “I love those children, but they are very poor and have nothing.” Loc has earned the trust and respect of their parents by showing his love for their children through his small acts of compassion.

I learned a lot from my brief observation and discussion with Loc about what it means to effectively work with communities. I had known already the importance of both talent and passion in my work. I learn from Loc that this passion must not only be for the job or even for the mission. Whether working in the field like Loc or working at my desk at headquarters, my passion should also be for the people, the families we serve who are striving to pull themselves out of poverty and build better communities.