Officials from the Phong Dien Commune Women's Union (on the right) visit and inquire about the production of apricot jam by member Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa.
For Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa in Thoi Hung hamlet, Phong Dien commune, the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year) are the busiest time of year for her business. Ms. Hoa started making apricot jam in 2018. After receiving positive feedback, she tried selling it online, and orders gradually increased. What makes Ms. Hoa's apricot jam "branded" is her commitment to hygiene; she meticulously handles every step, from selecting evenly ripened yellow apricots, soaking them in salt water, blanching them briefly, and rinsing them several times before simmering them in sugar syrup and drying them. Currently, she sells an average of 5-7 kg of dried apricot jam per day, at 200,000 VND/kg; her average income is about 3 million VND per month. Ms. Kim Hoa says that in her journey to bring apricot jam to customers, the Women's Union of Phong Dien commune has supported her in promoting and introducing her product, giving her the confidence to start her business.
Ms. Tran Thi Hong Nhung, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Phong Dien commune, said that the entire commune has over 8,000 members, operating in 31 branches. Identifying the task of supporting women's entrepreneurship and economic development as a priority, in recent years, the Union has focused on disseminating information and mobilizing women to change the crop structure towards commodity production; actively engaging in production and improving the economic efficiency of households. To encourage and assist members in economic development, job creation, and income improvement, the Union has implemented many flexible solutions. Currently, the Union maintains the operation of 44 savings and loan groups of the Social Policy Bank, helping over 2,000 members borrow capital to develop their family economies with a total outstanding loan balance of over 122 billion VND; at the same time, it maintains savings sources at the branch and group levels such as: piggy banks, capital pooling groups…
In addition, the Association also coordinated with various levels and sectors to open training courses and transfer scientific and technical knowledge to help members learn and apply it in production and business. During the period 2021-2025, the Phong Dien Commune Women's Union supported 31 women in successfully starting their own businesses; established 2 production development cooperatives; coordinated job counseling for over 3,000 women to work in companies and factories inside and outside the city; introduced and created regular jobs for approximately 500 local women; and effectively maintained job creation models such as small-scale trading and garment manufacturing.
According to Ms. Le Thi Thuy Nhien, head of the Evergreen Cultivation Cooperative, the group was established in 2015 and currently has more than 20 members. Each member utilizes shaded land and areas along canals and ditches to cultivate evergreens; Ms. Nhien acts as a liaison, collecting and selling the products for the members. Currently, the demand for evergreens is gradually stabilizing. The Women's Union regularly promotes and facilitates access to preferential loans for its members. Thanks to a relatively stable market, each household earns an average of 1-6 million VND per month, depending on the cultivated area.
Besides supporting economic development, the Women's Union of Phong Dien commune also cares for its members and their children in difficult circumstances. Every year, the Union reviews difficult cases to propose specific support solutions. During the period 2021-2025, the Union built and renovated 3 "Houses of Love" for disadvantaged women members with a total cost of 240 million VND; distributed 290 gifts to students and children of disadvantaged members with a total value of over 200 million VND; and awarded 10 Nguyen Thi Dinh scholarships…
"To further enhance its role as a reliable support system for its members, in the coming time, the Women's Union will continue to pay attention to and encourage female members to actively develop the economy, support startups, and build cooperative groups for production and business linkages... in accordance with the needs of its members and women," shared Ms. Tran Thi Hong Nhung, President of the Phong Dien Commune Women's Union.
Text and photos: KIEN QUOC
Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/tiep-suc-phu-nu-phat-trien-kinh-te-a196410.html
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