Write a story of sustainable livelihoods from local agricultural products.
Like many Muong ethnic women in Tun village, Xuan Nha border commune, Ms. Lo Thi Nguyen never thought she would one day be the economic leader of her family, until the project "GREAT - Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Ethnic Minority Women through the Development of Clean Bamboo Shoot Chains" came to her door. This project supported her in establishing and developing a clean bamboo shoot cooperative, building a processing plant, drying facility, and purchasing machinery and equipment, with a total cost of 500 million VND.
Ms. Lo Thi Nguyen, Director of Xuan Nha Clean Bamboo Shoot Production and Processing Cooperative, said: "Previously, we women only knew how to go into the forest to gather bamboo shoots for family meals, and our economy depended on farming. When the GREAT project supported and advised us to establish the cooperative, my horizons broadened, and I began to nurture the dream of starting a business with other women and becoming financially independent. In 2020, the cooperative was established with 9 members, 7 of whom are women. To date, the cooperative is cultivating 210 hectares of bamboo shoots. Each year, it exports 2-3 tons of dried sliced bamboo shoots to Japan and shredded bamboo shoots to Taiwan, generating revenue of 800 million to 1 billion VND per year and creating seasonal jobs for 50-70 local workers."
Beyond providing infrastructure and production guidance, Ms. Nguyen also participated in the "Promoting Business and Leadership for Women Entrepreneurs" sub-project in Son La , under the GREAT 2 Project. Through training courses, she gradually acquired knowledge about building business models, developing markets, and leadership and cooperative management skills. From being initially hesitant, she gradually became more confident in managing production and business operations, learning how to calculate, connect, and expand the market for her products.
In Muong Chanh commune, we were particularly impressed with Ms. Cam Thi Mon and her Ara-Tay coffee brand. Ms. Mon shared: “‘Ara’ stands for Arabica, ‘Tay’ means Thai, and also means hand. Ara-Tay signifies the diligent, nurturing hands of Thai women tending to the Arabica coffee plants. We want to use Ara-Tay Coffee to tell the story of the Thai women's efforts to rise above adversity.”
Established in 2019 through the Care Project of an Australian non-governmental organization, the Ara-Tay Coffee Cooperative currently sells 8-10 tons of ground coffee beans annually; supplying and creating a distinctive product line for coffee shops in Hanoi and other provinces and cities nationwide, generating revenue of 1.6 billion VND per year.
In each locality we visited, we heard, witnessed firsthand, and experienced the achievements stemming from the inspiring stories of ethnic minority women in the highlands. Typical examples include Ms. Lo Thi Buoi from To village, Long He commune, who initiated the Efarm E Tong Ecological Agricultural Cooperative, raising black chickens and native pigs, cultivating ginseng and black ginger, generating over 1.2 billion VND in revenue annually; Ms. Ha Thi Thuan from Phu Yen commune with her project "An Xoa Uyen Thuan - Inheriting the essence of traditional medicine, developing medicinal plants and products from medicinal plants"... along with hundreds of other exemplary women who boldly changed their mindset, way of thinking, and methods to transform their lives and become self-reliant. These women are pioneers and "leaders" of cooperatives, production facilities, and farms, building their own product brands, writing stories of sustainable livelihoods, and contributing to socio-economic development and poverty reduction in their localities.
"Leaving agriculture" doesn't mean "leaving one's hometown."
Many years ago, Co Ma and many other highland communes in Son La province still had a poverty rate exceeding 50%; the rate of child marriage was high, and the lives of many women there were confined to their villages. Returning to Co Ma in recent years, amidst the endless green mountains and forests, the story of dynamic, confident women rising above poverty and achieving legitimate wealth is like a new breath of life, full of light and vitality. The Co Ma highland market is bustling and lively, with women dressed in vibrant ethnic costumes going to the market, opening stalls, and selling brocade and agricultural products… creating a vibrant trading space amidst the mist-shrouded mountains and forests.
Visiting the traditional Mong ethnic brocade production and business facility of Ms. Vu Thi Tung's family in Co Nghe village, Co Ma commune, we were amazed by a workshop equipped with modern machinery for printing, sewing, processing, and finishing brocade fabrics. Ms. Tung greeted us with a warm smile, radiating the confidence of a business owner—a rare quality in Mong women in the past. Ms. Tung shared: "Previously, traditional Mong clothing was mainly hand-embroidered and sewn, requiring a lot of time and effort. Seeing the demand for brocade, I researched and persuaded my family to invest in machinery for production. Currently, my family has 10 embroidery machines, producing brocade fabric according to customer requests. Each year, we sell over 1,000 handcrafted products, earning a profit of over 500 million VND and creating jobs for 15 women in the commune, with a wage of 4.5 million VND per person per month."
Choosing to stay and find new livelihoods in their homeland, many women in the villages are also pioneering the development of community tourism, leveraging the strengths of the beautiful natural landscape and turning traditional cultural values into tourism products. A prime example is Ms. Luong Thi Hong Tuoi, owner of the "Hoa Moc Mien" homestay in Moc Chau ward, who invests in agriculture combined with tourism, opening sightseeing and experiential services for tourists, creating seasonal jobs for 10 female workers.
For example, Ms. Hoang Thi Dung from Bon village, Muong Chien commune, located in the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area, encouraged and supported by the local Women's Association, has linked 10 members in the village to establish a cooperative to develop community tourism, offering experiences of the White Thai culture, cuisine, and hot spring bathing… Ms. Hoang Thi Dung, Director of the Bon Village Community Tourism Cooperative, shared: "Doing tourism helps women to interact, meet, learn many good things, become more confident in communication, and have more motivation to strive for economic development and a stable life."
Throughout their entrepreneurial journey, women entrepreneurs have always received support and assistance from women's associations at all levels, linked with practical support programs and projects. Among these, the "Support for Women's Entrepreneurship Project 2017-2025" in Son La province (referred to as Project 939) stands out. This project, implemented in collaboration with the Provincial Women's Union, includes various forms of support: guiding the establishment of women-owned cooperatives; organizing training courses on business management skills, sales, product distribution, and production expansion; and assisting in accessing preferential loan sources.
Ms. Cam Thi Hong Duyen, President of the Provincial Women's Union, said: The Provincial Women's Union directly conducts surveys at the grassroots level, selecting units and businesses to participate in projects supporting women, supporting the establishment of cooperatives led by women; and providing seedlings and livestock to poor members to develop their economy. The Women's Union at all levels consistently maintains activities and movements focused on the grassroots, becoming a reliable support for women and accompanying them on their journey to change their lives.
With the encouragement and support of the Women's Union and various levels and sectors, ethnic minority women in Son La have been encouraged and motivated in economic development and innovative entrepreneurship. From 2019 to the present, more than 160 startup ideas have been supported by the Union; nearly 900 female members have received support in starting businesses and entrepreneurship. Many startup projects have won high awards at competitions at the central and provincial levels. Particularly noteworthy are projects in the production and development of agricultural product brands associated with promoting local resources and protecting the environment.
Currently, the province has 190 cooperatives operating with women's participation in management, and 30 cooperatives established with the support of the Women's Union. These cooperatives, established and maintained by women, share a common characteristic: they choose to develop products and brands based on the strengths of their local area. Instead of leaving their hometowns, they choose to stay rooted in the mountains and forests, clinging to their villages, overcoming difficulties, and transforming potential into advantages. They produce OCOP products and typical agricultural products such as tea, coffee, bamboo shoots, fruit trees, local chickens, local pigs, etc., or develop community-based tourism, ecotourism, and local cultural experiences, creating value for themselves, their families, and the community.
If we liken the women of Son La's highlands to the quiet yet strong bamboo shoots that persistently and tenaciously sprout amidst the mountains and forests, undeterred by barren, rocky soil, then the support from programs and projects empowering women, and the companionship of local Party committees, authorities, and organizations, are crucial driving forces that empower women to rise, shine, and bear fruit for life. The examples of women who have become wealthy in their homeland affirm the role and position of women in economic development, taking control of their lives, and contributing to change and promoting gender equality in the community.
(to be continued)
Source: https://baosonla.vn/phong-su/ky-1-dua-nui-bam-rung-doi-thay-van-menh-yJawv4tvR.html
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