Efficiency from policy capital

In An Xuyen commune, Ca Mau city, in the past, the lack of domestic water and poor environmental sanitation conditions caused many difficulties for the people. Many households had to share water sources with better-off households, while the water quality was not guaranteed to be safe. The lack of standard toilets was also one of the reasons affecting the health and quality of life of the people.

Since the NS&VSMTNT loan program was implemented, people's lives have changed significantly when they have the opportunity to access capital, use it to invest in building clean water supply systems, tanks, and closed toilets, helping to significantly improve living conditions.

As one of the households benefiting from preferential loans, Ms. Hong Thi Ho (Hamlet 6, An Xuyen Commune) could not hide her joy when her family's life became more convenient. Previously, her family had to use stored rainwater or draw water from a relative's house next door, which was extremely inconvenient. In 2023, thanks to a loan of 20 million VND from the VBSP, she drilled a new water pump, installed a modern motor system and built a solid toilet.

With access to capital, Ms. Hong Thi Ho invested in building new hygienic toilets and irrigation systems for farming. With access to capital, Ms. Hong Thi Ho invested in building new hygienic toilets and irrigation systems for farming.

Ms. Ho excitedly said: “Having clean water to use, I am so happy! Not only can I live comfortably, but thanks to the water, I can also grow more pennywort and green vegetables, bringing in more income for my family.”

In Hamlet 6, An Xuyen Commune, Mr. Nguyen Viet Thanh's family also faced a serious water shortage. The old water pump was drilled nearly 150 meters deep but still did not have enough water in the dry season. Seeing that the water pump was damaged and could not be used, and the water source was weak, Mr. Thanh decided to borrow 50 million VND, partly to repair and upgrade the water supply system, buy 4 tanks, and the rest to build a new toilet. Mr. Thanh shared: "With water, my family is much less miserable. Before, the water flow was weak in the dry season, sometimes there was no water to use. Now it is more comfortable, ensuring daily life and protecting the health of the whole family."

Thanks to capital from the NS&VSMTNT loan program, Mr. Nguyen Viet Thanh's family was able to repair the water dispenser and buy additional tanks to store water for household use.

Thanks to capital from the NS&VSMTNT loan program, Mr. Nguyen Viet Thanh's family was able to repair the water dispenser and buy additional tanks to store water for household use.

To make the loan program effective, the provincial People's Credit Fund has closely coordinated with organizations and unions such as the Women's Union and the Farmers' Association to widely disseminate preferential loan policies and guide people to use capital for the right purposes.

Ms. Tran Thi Tu Quyen, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of An Xuyen Commune, Head of the Savings and Loan Group, said: "Thanks to simple loan procedures, preferential interest rates and reasonable loan terms, many households can access capital conveniently. Each project is supported with a maximum loan of 25 million VND with an interest rate of 9%/year, with periodic payments every 6 months. In particular, after disbursement, within 30 days, bank staff will coordinate with the organization to inspect the use of capital, ensuring that the projects are built for the right purpose and promote practical efficiency."

Thanks to this method, as of early April 2025, the whole An Xuyen commune had 1,203 households borrowing capital with a total outstanding debt of more than 21 billion VND. Clean water and sanitation works have been invested in a systematic manner, helping the rural landscape become more and more spacious and clean.

Promoting sustainable development

Not only solving the problem of water shortage, the NS&VSMTNT loan program also contributes to changing people's living habits. Thanks to preferential loans and propaganda work, more and more households are aware of the importance of clean water and environmental sanitation, gradually improving their quality of life.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong, Deputy Director of the Provincial Social Policy Bank: “The program not only helps people access clean water but also raises awareness of hygiene and health. This is a humane credit policy, bringing great significance to the rural community”. The close coordination between the Social Policy Bank and associations and organizations has helped the program to be effectively implemented, supporting people to build standard sanitation facilities, contributing to environmental protection.

To date, the provincial Social Policy Bank has disbursed more than VND 1,100 billion in loans, helping 65,000 households improve their clean water and sanitation conditions. In the first 3 months of 2025 alone, the program continued to grow strongly with a total revenue of VND 108 billion, supporting 3,159 households to access loans. Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong affirmed: "These figures demonstrate the clear effectiveness of policy credit, not only improving the quality of life but also receiving great consensus from the people and the attention and direction of the government".

Despite many positive results, the program still faces many difficulties. Climate change and natural disasters have caused many structures to collapse and be damaged, affecting the debt repayment ability of some households. In this context, the provincial People's Credit Fund is committed to continuing to closely follow the Central Government's direction, prioritizing capital sources for the program and finding solutions to support households in difficulty, especially those affected by natural disasters.

According to the plan, by the end of 2025, Ca Mau province will allocate an additional 185 billion VND to expand the program, creating conditions for many households to access capital.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dong emphasized: "The goal is not just to disburse, but more importantly to ensure effective use, helping each household improve living conditions, while protecting the rural environment."

With the attention of the government and the support of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, the clean water and environmental sanitation credit program will continue to be effective, contributing to improving the quality of life for people, towards the goal of sustainable development of the locality./.

Huu Nghia - Vietnam America

Source: https://baocamau.vn/von-vay-nuoc-sach-nang-chat-cuoc-song-nong-thon-a38724.html