Accompanying women to escape poverty sustainably

Livelihood support for poor women

One of the cases that received the attention of the Women's Union of Binh Duc commune is the family of Ms. Ho Thi Gon (born in 1982, residing in Hamlet 5, Binh Duc, Binh Duc commune, Tay Ninh province). Her family is a near-poor household, living in a charity house built with support from the local government since 2019. However, that small home has never been less worried because of the health problems that constantly surround family members.

The Women's Union of Binh Duc commune visited and gave gifts to the family of Ms. Ho Thi Gon (standing in the middle)

Her husband, Vo Van Chon (born in 1971), has suffered from chronic heart failure for many years and is in poor health. Unable to do heavy work, he can only take on odd jobs when hired. Their two children are still young, of which their eldest son, who is only 10 years old, has been affected by Agent Orange since birth and is often sick.

Ms. Gon is also a victim of Agent Orange, and has a leaky heart valve and many other health problems that prevent her from working steadily. However, to improve her life, she still tries to take care of the guava garden behind her house and earn extra income. "The disease has weakened me a lot, I just hope my health will be more stable so I can work and earn money to cover some of my family's living expenses" - Ms. Gon shared.

Understanding the situation of the couple, the Commune Women's Union regularly visits, encourages and connects support resources, helping the family reduce the burden of making a living. Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, President of the Binh Duc Commune Women's Union Le Thi Phuong said: "The goal of the Union is not only to provide immediate support but also to help Ms. Gon's family gradually stabilize their life in the long term. We are reviewing and proposing livelihood support programs suitable for her health and continue to accompany her to promptly support the family."

The Women's Union of Binh Duc commune regularly visits and supports poor and near-poor households in the area.

In recent times, the work of sustainable poverty reduction has been widely implemented by the Commune Women's Union. Currently, there are 21 poor households and 68 near-poor households in the commune. To contribute to improving people's lives, the Union has proactively developed a plan to approach and support each target group.

In 2025, the Association mobilized more than 100 gifts, with a total value of about 50 million VND, to give to poor households and families in especially difficult circumstances, helping them to reduce some of their worries in life.

Opening up new opportunities from loan capital

As a family of policy beneficiaries who were once considered near-poor, Ms. Le Thi Chiem (born in 1963, residing in Thu Tuu 2 quarter, Khanh Hau ward) has been earning a living mainly by collecting scrap metal for over 30 years, with an unstable income. In the past three years, her husband's health has declined and he is no longer able to do heavy work, so Ms. Chiem has become the main economic pillar of the family. The charity house that was built by the local authorities in 2007 is a place to shelter from the rain and sun, and is also a spiritual motivation for the whole family.

Thanks to the support of the Women's Union of Khanh Hau Ward, Ms. Chiem was able to borrow 20 million VND from the Social Policy Bank to buy scrap metal, sell lottery tickets and fruits, and gradually stabilize her life. In 2024, her family was officially removed from the local near-poor household list.

Khanh Hau Ward Women's Union visited and encouraged Ms. Le Thi Chiem

About 3 months ago, the Association introduced her to work as a janitor at an elementary school. On weekends or in her free time, she picks vegetables and collects scrap metal to increase her income and take care of her family. Ms. Chiem shared: “Thanks to the loan and the Association’s help, I have the opportunity to improve my life. Now that I have a stable job at school, I feel more secure and have better conditions to take care of my family. I am very happy!”

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Khanh Hau Ward, President of the Women's Union of Khanh Hau Ward, Luong Ngoc Hanh, said: "Ms. Chiem is an example of perseverance and hard work. Despite difficult circumstances, she still perseveres, uses loans for the right purposes and brings about efficiency. In addition, the Association also regularly surveys poor households headed by women, seeks solutions, and creates conditions for them to access preferential loans and develop their family economy. Currently, the Association manages 9 loan groups with 438 members, with a total amount of more than 23 billion VND."

Through many effective and timely forms and methods, the Associations at all levels in the province have proactively coordinated and mobilized resources to help and care for members and women, improving their material and spiritual lives. Since the beginning of 2025, the Association has created conditions for many poor and near-poor households to access support sources, thereby rising out of poverty and near-poverty according to multidimensional poverty criteria.

These efforts not only contribute to realizing the goal of sustainable poverty reduction according to the national target program but also affirm the positive role of women in family and community economic development./.

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