Vietnam
ADRA Vietnam
Serving the local population since 1989
ADRA Vietnam emphasizes long-term development, though we have proven our competence in emergency relief, too. We build capacity in the people of Vietnam by promoting leadership and enabling beneficiaries to become proactive and ultimately self-supporting. Our education and health programs are designed to help us accomplish this goal.
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Lam’s Story
Vietnam
Lam’s Story
Vietnam
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Lam’s Story
For 63 years, Lam O. felt like a burden. Born blind in the Tay Ninh province, where visually impaired people are considered invalids, Lam struggled with a sense of worth. Then he married and had two children. His family loved and respected him, but he felt like a failure. He was unable to work and to provide for his wife and children. His son went to work as a day laborer just so his family could survive, but they still struggled in poverty. Lam began to lose hope.
Just when he felt complete despair, ADRA workers came to his house and asked if he was interested in joining the Cow Bank Initiative. When they explained the program, he responded with a joyous and emphatic “yes.”
Visual impairment is the most common disability in Vietnam. According to the UNFPA, 4 million people are visually impaired in Vietnam.
“People with visual impairment lack access to education, health care, jobs, and many other basic social services,” said Nguyen Anh Thinh, programs director of ADRA Vietnam. “They often have low incomes, so we concentrate on helping them generate income with a particular model that they can participate in and apply.”
In Vietnam, that model is the cow bank. The system is simple and cost-effective, and it is changing lives.
A family is given a female cow and training on how to care for it. They mate the cow with a bull and wait for her to give birth. Once she delivers the calf, the family gives the calf to the cow bank, and they keep the mother. After that, they are allowed to keep all her subsequent calves. When the firstborn calf given to the cow bank reaches the appropriate age, she is in turn given to another family, and the cycle begins again.
Since its launch in 2010, this program has affected more than 160 families. And in a society where a single cow is worth $2,000, these families are lifted out of poverty and provided with tangible, measurable hope.
Lam and his family are among the beneficiaries. He and his wife care for the cow together, taking it to the field in the morning and evening. She has already given birth twice and is carrying a third.
“This is a new beginning for us,” said Lam. “The cow is the most precious asset we own, and it will secure our future.”
Additional Information
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Capacity Statement Overview
Tay Ninh is one of the poorest provinces in Vietnam, with one of the highest populations of blind people. According to the latest census, they number 2,100, and most are unable to provide for themselves or their family. Because of this high proportion of impoverished blind citizens, ADRA Vietnam developed a program called the Revolving Cow Bank, which places the care of the herd in the hands of the community. With training, the blind citizens of Tay Ninh have proven to be adept at caring for their herd of 123 cattle, including delivering calves, which are eventually given to other local vulnerable families with disabilities.
Our Capacity Statement further highlights the projects, programs, and people of ADRA Vietnam. Download the ADRA Vietnam Capacity Statement -
Country Overview
Vietnam is in the midst of a dramatic transition period as it advances out of low-level developing country status with one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. Despite this progression, 17.2 percent live on less than $1.25 per day and have limited access to basic necessities, including education and health services. Climate change is especially detrimental in Vietnam, as the potential for disaster increases.