Dinh Thi Krot in Quang Ngai province is happy raising goats with her children (Photos courtesy of World Bank)Quang Ngai (VNA) - Pham Van Mang, Chairman ofBa Trang commune People’s Committee in the central province of QuangNgai, remembers the radiant faces and smiles of local people when a newbridge spanning the Tha Stream was opened thanks to the Central HighlandsPoverty Reduction Project.
The bridge benefits more than 500households of the commune, contributing to the development of the local economyand infrastructure. More importantly, it saves many lives when the floodseason comes.
“Before, students walked through the stream toget to school, and it was difficult for people to transportgoods. It was very dangerous when the flood season arrived,” said Mang.
“Now safety is guaranteed and people are sohappy and thankful because they are connected with other communesand transport is more convenient.”
It’s a result of the Central Highlands PovertyReduction (CHPR) Project launched by the Ministry of Planning and Investment(MPI) with support from the World Bank in 2013.
A conference to review the projectfrom 2013-2019 has been held in Hanoi. It’s estimated that investment of135 million USD from the World Bank's official development assistance (ODA)fund and the State budget has been spent on the project.
Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Local andTerritorial Economy Department (MPI), said the project had totallychanged the lives of many people in the Central Highlands.
“The project aims to enhance opportunitiesand livelihoods of residents in poor households and communities in the CentralHighlands by improving access to basic services related to farm production andstrengthening food security and nutrition,” he said.
“It also helps them to upgrade infrastructureand train local staff.
“We have built 439km of roads in rural areas, 73new bridges and 141 clean water stations. About 142,000 households havebenefited from the project thanks to training on breeding/farming andfunding for them to buy their own livestocks and farms.”
Bling Thi Cot from the central province ofQuang Nam shared her happiness about a new road built in herhometown in Ba Trang commune.
“I used to walk 2km to reach our field. Theroad was full of obstacles and impassable by vehicle,” she said.
“Last year, a new road was built, much to thedelight of all the villagers. We can ride motorbikes to go towork, and come back for a rest at midday.”
A Hieu agreed: “Thanks to the road, thechildren don’t fall over anymore.
“Some years ago, I harvested one tonne of coffeeper hectare. After the road was built, the workbecame easier, and last year I harvested four tonnesper hectare.”
Ho Thi Hen didn’t know that her children had apoor diet, like many other mothers in Nam Tra My district, that was until sheattended a training course to raise people’s awareness of childcare and health.
“Children in my village used to eat vegetableslike sweet potatoes and cassava. Life was hard and we didn’thave many options. We didn’t think much about nutrition,” Hen said.
The project arrived in her village and Hen wasone of the women to receive funds and livestock.
Now she raises 20 ducks and chickens toimprove her income, and her children can have eggs with their meals.
The project has spread to 26 districts in theprovinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Quang Nam and QuangNgai.
“This project is among a number of World Bankfunded operations targeting the poorest areas in the country and demonstratesthe consistency between the goals of the Government and those of the bank inaddressing absolute poverty,” said Keiko Inoue, World Bank Vietnam ProgrammeLeader for Human Development.
“Over the past five years, the project hasdelivered technical support and financing for essential infrastructure andlivelihood activities across 130 ethnic communes.”
“We are pleased to learn that according to therecently completed impact evaluation that travel time to schools andadministrative centres has been reduced, drop-out rates for primary andsecondary students have fallen, agriculture activities have become more diverseand animal husbandry has increased, and per capita expenditures have increasedfor female-headed households and for migrant ethnic minority groups,” shesaid.
Inoue said it would become more and morechallenging to reach groups that remained behind, particularly in laggingregions, and to bridge gaps in basic services, access to economicopportunities, and poverty.
The World Bank has committed to move forwardwith Vietnam to bring the project to more poor areas in the northernmountainous region for a better life in the country./.
The bridge benefits more than 500households of the commune, contributing to the development of the local economyand infrastructure. More importantly, it saves many lives when the floodseason comes.
“Before, students walked through the stream toget to school, and it was difficult for people to transportgoods. It was very dangerous when the flood season arrived,” said Mang.
“Now safety is guaranteed and people are sohappy and thankful because they are connected with other communesand transport is more convenient.”
It’s a result of the Central Highlands PovertyReduction (CHPR) Project launched by the Ministry of Planning and Investment(MPI) with support from the World Bank in 2013.
A conference to review the projectfrom 2013-2019 has been held in Hanoi. It’s estimated that investment of135 million USD from the World Bank's official development assistance (ODA)fund and the State budget has been spent on the project.
Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Local andTerritorial Economy Department (MPI), said the project had totallychanged the lives of many people in the Central Highlands.
“The project aims to enhance opportunitiesand livelihoods of residents in poor households and communities in the CentralHighlands by improving access to basic services related to farm production andstrengthening food security and nutrition,” he said.
“It also helps them to upgrade infrastructureand train local staff.
“We have built 439km of roads in rural areas, 73new bridges and 141 clean water stations. About 142,000 households havebenefited from the project thanks to training on breeding/farming andfunding for them to buy their own livestocks and farms.”
Bling Thi Cot from the central province ofQuang Nam shared her happiness about a new road built in herhometown in Ba Trang commune.
“I used to walk 2km to reach our field. Theroad was full of obstacles and impassable by vehicle,” she said.
“Last year, a new road was built, much to thedelight of all the villagers. We can ride motorbikes to go towork, and come back for a rest at midday.”
A Hieu agreed: “Thanks to the road, thechildren don’t fall over anymore.
“Some years ago, I harvested one tonne of coffeeper hectare. After the road was built, the workbecame easier, and last year I harvested four tonnesper hectare.”
Ho Thi Hen didn’t know that her children had apoor diet, like many other mothers in Nam Tra My district, that was until sheattended a training course to raise people’s awareness of childcare and health.
“Children in my village used to eat vegetableslike sweet potatoes and cassava. Life was hard and we didn’thave many options. We didn’t think much about nutrition,” Hen said.
The project arrived in her village and Hen wasone of the women to receive funds and livestock.
Now she raises 20 ducks and chickens toimprove her income, and her children can have eggs with their meals.
The project has spread to 26 districts in theprovinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Quang Nam and QuangNgai.
“This project is among a number of World Bankfunded operations targeting the poorest areas in the country and demonstratesthe consistency between the goals of the Government and those of the bank inaddressing absolute poverty,” said Keiko Inoue, World Bank Vietnam ProgrammeLeader for Human Development.
“Over the past five years, the project hasdelivered technical support and financing for essential infrastructure andlivelihood activities across 130 ethnic communes.”
“We are pleased to learn that according to therecently completed impact evaluation that travel time to schools andadministrative centres has been reduced, drop-out rates for primary andsecondary students have fallen, agriculture activities have become more diverseand animal husbandry has increased, and per capita expenditures have increasedfor female-headed households and for migrant ethnic minority groups,” shesaid.
Inoue said it would become more and morechallenging to reach groups that remained behind, particularly in laggingregions, and to bridge gaps in basic services, access to economicopportunities, and poverty.
The World Bank has committed to move forwardwith Vietnam to bring the project to more poor areas in the northernmountainous region for a better life in the country./.
VNA
