The story of the girl who turned coconut shells into 'gold'

Vinh Long Turning seemingly lifeless coconut shells into unique jewelry and art, Nguyen Bang Nhi spreads indigenous cultural values ​​through the Cocohand brand.

Falling in love with coconut shells from the lecture hall

Born in 1996 in Huong My commune, Vinh Long province, Nguyen Bang Nhi is one of the typical young faces in the creative startup movement of the Mekong Delta region. Graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, Nhi did not choose the path of urban design or architectural works like her classmates, but turned to her hometown, starting her creative journey with... coconut shells.

“During my studies, I was exposed to many different materials. By chance, while doing my project, I realized that in my hometown there were a lot of coconut shells. This material has very natural and artistic patterns and curves,” Nhi recalls.

Unique jewelry products from coconut shells by Cochand. Photo: Minh Dam.

From that passion, Nhi chose coconut shells as the main material for her graduation project, creating her first coconut jewelry set. After graduating, that passion urged Nhi to return to her hometown. She asked her parents to let her stay for a year to research and create more.

In 2019, the turning point came when her products were displayed at the 5th Ben Tre Coconut Festival. Nhi's small booth attracted a large number of visitors because of its sophistication, creativity and Vietnamese spirit. From then on, with the support of the Provincial Investment Promotion and Startup Center, Cocohand - Coconut Handicraft Workshop was officially born.

Starting successfully with the coconut jewelry line including bracelets, earrings, necklaces, hair clips, etc., Cocohand quickly expanded to the coconut art painting line. Coconut shell pieces through skillful hands are cut, polished, laser engraved and assembled into glass paintings. This product becomes a high-class gift, suitable for the needs of businesses and agencies.

“Cocohand aims to provide gift solutions that are local, fast, beautiful and durable. Each product tells a story about local culture and resources,” Nhi shared.

Nguyen Bang Nhi assembles paintings from coconut shell parts. Photo: Minh Dam.

The entire process is done manually, from processing, grinding, and attaching accessories. Only the laser cutting and engraving step is supported by technology to ensure precision and consistency. In June 2025, the factory was certified to ISO 9001:2025 and is applying the 5S process to standardize production.

Thanks to its own direction, Cocohand quickly made its mark in the handicraft market. On online platforms, when searching for “coconut jewelry” or “coconut paintings”, Cocohand is always among the most searched brands.

Currently, Cocohand supplies an average of 2,000-3,000 products/month, present in many provinces and initially exported to Australia, France, the US, and Japan. Cocohand products currently have diverse prices: Keychains from 35,000 VND, hair clips, bracelets, earrings, necklaces from 40,000-100,000 VND. Coconut paintings in particular cost from several hundred thousand VND to several million VND/work.

From hardship to prosperity

In the land of coconut, coconut shells are considered a by-product and are considered a waste, so in the early days of starting her business, many people opposed Bang Nhi's decision to embark on this path. Along with that, she also encountered countless challenges due to lack of capital, lack of machinery, and lack of experience.

Bang Nhi shared: “No one in my family does handicrafts, so at first many people objected. But my parents still believed in me and accompanied me.”

Tourists visit Cocohand handicraft workshop. Photo: Minh Dam.

With passion and perseverance, Bang Nhi has made steady steps, from a person who does everything, Nhi expanded the workshop, invested in more machinery and recruited more staff. Up to now, Cocohand has 4 main workers in the workshop, 2 sales and marketing staff, 1 accountant and a group of collaborators processing at home. The average income of workers is from 6-9 million VND/month (depending on the volume of orders). In addition, it also creates additional income for many households by receiving products to work at home.

Thanks to her creativity, “coconut trash” has become “gold”, local people have an additional source of income, many female workers in the commune have more seasonal jobs. At the same time, spreading the message of green living, contributing to environmental protection.

Cocohand products are recognized as 3-star OCOP. Photo: Minh Dam.

Not only creating jobs for local people, Cocohand also contributes to increasing the economic value of coconut shells, turning seemingly worthless by-products into a profitable source of income. If in the past, each kilo of coconut shells was only sold for a few thousand dong to make charcoal, now, after being delicately crafted and associated with the cultural story of the coconut land, they become unique handicraft products, worth 10-20 times more.

Each bracelet, earring or laser-engraved coconut painting is not only a souvenir, but also a product with the soul of the countryside, demonstrating the talented hands and creativity of Ben Tre people. On average, each year, Cocohand workshop consumes about 18,000 coconut shells, contributing significantly to increasing the value of the local coconut production chain. This model shows that when knowing how to exploit local advantages with creative thinking, materials considered "garbage" can completely become cultural and economic products of high value.

Talking about her future plans, Nhi said she will expand the workshop by about 100m2 and invest in more UV printers and laser engravers to upgrade products and increase productivity. However, the biggest obstacle at present is still the lack of investment capital and the lack of opportunities for in-depth training in production, design and export. Nhi hopes to receive support from start-up programs and innovation funds to be able to improve Cocohand products, gradually bringing the Ben Tre coconut handicraft brand to the international market.

Looking back on her journey, Bang Nhi believes that the most valuable thing is not revenue or awards, but the pride that comes from seeing her hometown products loved by everyone. She hopes that from her startup story, many young people will be more bold in creating and developing, so that indigenous cultural values ​​continue to be breathed life into and spread in modern life.

In just a few years, Nguyen Bang Nhi has left a remarkable mark in startup and innovation competitions. She won first prize in the Ben Tre Province Startup Project Idea 2022, first prize in the Women's Startup Innovation and Green Transformation 2024, and many other awards, while the Cocohand Coconut Fiber Bag product won second prize in the OCOP Gift Basket Design 2024. Currently, Cocohand has 3 products achieving 3-star OCOP at the district level, of which Coconut Jewelry is being proposed to be upgraded to 4-star, affirming the prestige and brand position in the market.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/cau-chuyen-cua-co-gai-bien-gao-dua-thanh-vang-d783717.html