Story by Nguyen Xuan Quyen | Communication and Networking Officer | Heifer Vietnam
Photos by Dang Thi Doan Trang | Country Director | Heifer Vietnam
Dang Thi Doan Trang, country director of Heifer Vietnam, and Kare Borseth Ronningen, country director of Norwegian Mission Alliance Vietnam (NMA–V), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on December 12, 2012, in Hochiminh City. The cooperative project, Improving Livelihoods of Poor Farmers in the Tan Phu Dong District of Tien Giang Province, will be supported by Heifer Vietnam, NMA-V and the People’s Committee of Tien Giang Province.
The total budget is 15.2 billion Vietnamese dongs, or around $720,000, with each party contributing 4 billion Vietnamese dongs, or around $200,000. This MOU remains in effect until December 31, 2017. The cooperative project aims to support 900 poor households in the Tan Phu Dong district of Tien Giang province through trainings and resources to help families out of poverty and empower them to reach sustainable livelihoods within five years.
Each party pledges to fulfill its responsibilities in the project. Heifer Vietnam is responsible for providing primary skills trainings for the community on topics such as finance management, as well as training for community facilitators and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) staff to improve their capacity in project implementation. NMA-V will provide staff of the Provincial People's Committee and DARD with trainings on community development, project management, finance management, microfinance, parenting skills and environmental protection.
