Vietnam

Almost half of the deaths and disease among the country’s youngest children in Vietnam are caused by poor sanitation and hygiene, and the ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Less than one third of Ethnic Minority Villagers in rural areas have adequate sanitation facilities.

COCOA has been drilling bores to provide clean water to Minority Villagers in Binh Phuoc Province since 2005. An Phu Village in Binh Long District was provided with 15 bores and tanks which will provide water for the 105 families located there. Dong Tien Village and Dong Tam Village have each received 6 bores and tanks. Altogether 45 bores and tanks have been installed. Cement tanks are constructed at each well site.

Many villagers live in a bamboo thatch cottage with a dirt floor. The house has no bathroom or toilet facilities. COCOA began a housing construction program in 2006 with an agreement to provide 60 houses. To date, 41 houses had been completed. COCOA has been providing a toilet in each house, as a way to help improve sanitation. 

Profile

Population: 88,361,983
Languages: Vietnamese, English, French, Chinese, Khmer & local languages  
Literacy: (Adults 15 yrs+) 90.3% (HDR 2007)
Average life expectancy: Males: 72 years; Females: 76 years
Major religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Indigenous beliefs, Muslim
Economy: GNI per capita US $890 (World Bank 2008)
Industry: food processing, garments, shoes, machine-building
Agriculture: paddy rice, corn, potatoes, rubber, poultry, fish, tea, coffee.
Exports: crude oil, marine products, rice, coffee, tea, rubber

Vietnam is located in Southeast Asia. It is 331,114 square kilometers in area and stretches 1,600 km from the
north to the south, but is only about 40 km wide at its narrowest point near the country's center.

The Red River delta lowlands in the north are separated from the huge Mekong Delta in the south by long, narrow coastal plains backed by the forested Annam (Central) highlands.

Hanoi, the capital, is the main city on the Red River in the north and Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, is the main city on the Mekong in the south.

Churches of Christ Overseas Aid in Vietnam

Churches Of Christ Overseas Aid Vietnam (COCOA) is registered in its own right in Vietnam. The registration permit allows COCOA to carry out Aid and Development Programs in Binh Phuoc Province which is 150 km north-west from Ho Chi Minh City.

Housing Projects

There are many poor villages in Vietnam, especially amongst the Ethnic Minority Tribes. Many villagers live in a bamboo thatch cottage with a dirt floor. The house has no bathroom or toilet facilities. Binh Phuoc People’s Committee estimated in 2004, that the overall needs of the poor in the Province was around 40,000 houses.

COCOA began a housing construction program in 2006 with an agreement to provide 60 houses. To date, 41 houses had been completed. COCOA has been providing a toilet in each house, as a way to help improve sanitation.

Clean Water Projects

Almost half of the deaths and disease among the country’s youngest children in Vietnam are caused by poor sanitation and hygiene, and the ingestion of contaminated drinking water. Less than one third of Ethnic Minority Villagers in rural areas have adequate sanitation facilities. Of those who have access to sanitation, only 17 per cent know how to use these facilities hygienically, which increases the children’s risk of contracting water-borne diseases.

COCOA has been drilling bores to provide clean water to Minority Villagers in Binh Phuoc Province since 2005. An Phu Village in Binh Long District was provided with 15 bores and tanks which will provide water for the 105 families located there. Dong Tien Village and Dong Tam Village have each received 6 bores and tanks. Altogether 45 bores and tanks have been installed. Cement tanks are constructed at each well site.

In Tan Xuan Village in Outer Dong Xoai Township a 1 km pipeline was installed to bring water from Dong Xoai to the Village.

Food Distribution

Many Minority families face economic hardship and find it difficult to afford even basic food items. They usually rely on growing Cassava (Tapioca) as a cash crop for income. In 2009 when the price plummeted from around 50 cents to about 5 cents a kilo, if they could sell it, there were heaps of tapioca going mouldy around the country.

Several hundred gift packs were distributed to poor minority villager families in Dong Tien and Dong Tam villages. Given to those in greatest need (as determined by the government) each pack contained 10 kg rice, 10 packets of instant noodles, 1 litre of fish sauce, 1 litre of cooking oil, dried fish and salt. 

Education

Having an education means a better chance of getting a good job after leaving school. More classrooms will be needed in Binh Phuoc Province over the next ten years. Two classrooms have been built in recent years on an area of land in An Phu Village. The School will educate children from Prep School age to final Primary level.

Vocational Training Programs are very limited in Vietnam and Minority children have limited access to this type of education. In 2006, COCOA finished the construction of the first Mushroom Growing Laboratory at the Dong Xoai Township Ethnic Minority High School. This is the first such structure of its kind in the Province and its completion was welcomed by Minority leaders and families.

The Government of Vietnam has recently been calling for International help in the construction of Vocational Colleges in rural areas to train poor Vietnamese and Minority workers in agriculture and farming skills. These skills are much needed to improve their chances of getting employment.

Bright Solutions

Bright Solutions is a newly registered Social Development Enterprise. Fiona Briers, Bright Solutions Vocational Training Director, has been working in Ho Chi Minh City since July 2009. Fiona’s vision for Bright Solutions is that it will be a vocational training and consultancy company in Vietnam. Training and services, such as developing micro projects to generate income for individuals, will be offered to people to assist them in developing employment prospects. Fiona’s role will include leadership training, consulting and mentoring, and training others to work with her. Bight Solutions is especially keen to empower women and lift them out of the poverty cycle. 

The first micro-enterprise project is Interactive Cloth Books. These are available in two designs: an Activity Book and a Senses Book. They are suitable for early childhood learning and for those needing to develop fine motor coordination skills. Costing $25 per book these can be ordered from the Empowering Women - BSol Order form below or through info@inpartnership.org.au or 08 8212 4446.

The next set of products created is a range of animal pocket pencil cases. For all the current designs and pencil case colours check out the Empowering Women - BSol brochure attachment. These can be ordered from the Empowering Women - BSol Order form attached below or or through info@inpartnership.org.au or 08 8212 4446.

For Christmas there are a range of cards and decorations for the tree. You can check out the designs and order forms from the attachments below.

Prayer Points

Pray for John and Lan Dean especially for John’s health and their continuing ministries in Vietnam.

For Fiona Briers and the Bright Solution workers; for good sales of the interactive books and the development of new projects.

Visit the website http://www.cocoa-s-e-asia.org to view the COCOA Project videos of the work in Vietnam.

Sources: UN website

PDF download

If you want a PDF to print out or take away with you, please find the Vietnam update attachments below.