The lack of clean water used to be a "nightmare" for many families in Ben Tat village, Con Tien commune, including the family of Ms. Ho Thi The. With inconvenient transportation and a life full of hardships, she couldn't afford to buy filtered water and was forced to use water heavily contaminated with alum.
In early 2024, Ms. The accessed preferential loan capital through the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Program implemented by the Social Policy Bank (NHCSXH) Gio Linh branch. Although the amount of 50 million VND was not large, it helped her drill a well to find a clean water source and upgrade her toilet.
Ms. The shared: “The water sources around here are heavily contaminated with alum, making it very difficult for people because the water for daily use is not safe. Thanks to the preferential loan from the Social Policy Bank, my family was able to drill a well to have clean water. With clean water, my family's health has improved significantly, and my husband and I can confidently increase production and improve our income to support our children's education.”
Following Ms. The, many households in Ben Tat village also gained access to preferential loans. As a result, the number of people using clean water has increased significantly, and everyone is delighted.
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| Thanks to preferential loan capital, Ms. Ho Thi The in Con Tien commune now has access to clean water for daily use - Photo: TP |
In Da Chat village, Truong Son commune, Mr. Ho Van Sanh is one of the households that has effectively borrowed and utilized capital from the Rural Sanitation and Environmental Protection Loan Program. “My family's circumstances were difficult, so before, we didn't have the means to build a sturdy, sanitary outbuilding. Every day, I had to travel 2-3 kilometers to the stream to fetch water. The stream water was mainly used for cooking; for other activities, we still had to use water from unreliable sources…,” Mr. Sanh explained.
Through the support of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) in Quang Ninh , Mr. Sanh was able to access preferential loan capital under Decision No. 10/2024/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. Mr. Sanh meticulously planned the use of the 50 million VND to build a new toilet, construct a water tank, and lay pipes to bring water to his house. Since having clean water and a clean, hygienic toilet, all members of his family have been very happy. Mr. Sanh's long-held dream has now been realized thanks to this preferential loan.
To date, the rural water supply and sanitation loan program has a total outstanding balance of nearly 3,180 billion VND with over 87,000 customers still having outstanding loans. In accordance with Decision No. 10/2024/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister , from September 2024, the maximum loan amount for the rural water supply and sanitation loan program has been increased to 25 million VND/project/customer. The interest rate is 8.4%/year, and the maximum loan term is 5 years. These measures make it easier for people to access loans, thereby improving the quality of clean water and living conditions, contributing to the successful implementation of the new rural development criteria in localities.
To ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are aware of this meaningful loan program, the Provincial Social Policy Bank has recently coordinated with relevant departments, local authorities, and organizations to disseminate information to the people about loan amounts, eligible beneficiaries, loan terms, and purposes for loan use; disbursed loans to eligible individuals in need of capital to build clean water and sanitation facilities that meet standards; guided borrowers on loan application procedures, eligibility criteria, loan amounts, terms, and interest rates; and ensured that 100% of eligible individuals in need receive loans according to regulations.
Ms. Tran Duc Xuan Huong, Director of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) in Quang Tri province, shared: "Providing preferential loan capital to help people access clean water is one of the deeply humane policies that plays an important role in achieving social security goals and sustainable socio -economic development. In the coming period, the VBSP in Quang Tri province will continue to coordinate with local authorities to carefully review the needs of each area to allocate preferential capital in the most reasonable way, prioritizing remote, mountainous, and disadvantaged communes. This will contribute to solving the problem of rural environmental pollution, protecting public health, and working together for a healthy Quang Tri."
Truc Phuong
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202606/tiep-suc-dua-nuoc-sach-ve-ban-2a6556d/
