Caring for, accompanying, and supporting vulnerable women and children.

Many lively activities

Ms. Dinh Thi Hoang, residing in Dong Nhan hamlet, Dong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district), faces exceptionally difficult circumstances. Both she and her husband are in poor health. Their only source of income is a small plot of land (one sao). Their lives depend year-round on odd jobs, such as spraying pesticides, weeding, harvesting crops, and, when no one hires them, catching snails to sell to support their family of four. As a result, Ms. Hoang's family has never been able to save any money.

Understanding that situation, for many consecutive years,Women's UnionYen Thanh district and Dong Thanh commune have coordinated with many organizations and individuals to support the family, from building toilets, bathrooms, and surrounding walls to providing cattle and chickens for livelihood. Currently, the family continues to receive support for building...A home of love and compassion"with a total value of over 100 million VND. Ms. Dinh Thi Hoang shared: "With the support and companionship of the Party committee, the government, and the women's association, my family's life is becoming more and more stable."

Also receiving support for the "House of Love" program in 2021 were the families of Ms. Nguyen Thi Bon, in Dang Luu hamlet, Nam Thanh commune; Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh, in hamlet 4, Bac Thanh commune; and Ms. Phan Thi Hue, in hamlet 3, Dai Thanh commune, all of whom are in difficult circumstances…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Yen Thanh District, shared: Women from impoverished households face particularly difficult and vulnerable circumstances, making it very hard for them to rise above their circumstances without companionship, sharing, and support through concrete and practical actions. Therefore, over the past five years, the Women's Union at all levels in Yen Thanh District has focused on mobilizing resources to support the construction of nearly 100 "Houses of Love" and the repair of nearly 150 houses. Along with that, they have organized the "Accompanying Vulnerable Women" movement with the spirit of "Leaving no woman behind." Through this, many models have been implemented at the grassroots level, such as "Saving money by raising pigs in plastic containers"; "Rice jars of love"; "Turning waste into livestock"... Over the past five years, thousands of disadvantaged and vulnerable women in the district have received support in the form of chickens, ducks, piglets; health insurance cards and thousands of gifts…

For the Thanh Chuong District Women's Union, the innovative "Zero-Cost Stall" model has been implemented. Starting as a pilot project in Dong Van commune, it has now expanded to 13 communes and towns. Initially intended to collect used household items, including clothing, from families no longer needing them, and distribute them to those in need—primarily poor and vulnerable women and children in each area—the "Zero-Cost Stall" transformed into a hub for receiving and giving essential goods such as rice, fish sauce, cooking oil, MSG, vegetables, disinfectants, face masks, and soap to disadvantaged women when Thanh Chuong district implemented COVID-19 prevention measures in accordance with Government Directive 16.

The organization also carries out many activities aimed at poor and vulnerable women and children, such as awarding 32 "Houses of Love"; implementing the movement "Each branch helps one household escape poverty"; and awarding scholarships at the beginning of the school year to poor students with difficult circumstances.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh - Vice President of the Women's Union of Thanh Chuong District

Women in Thanh Chuong provide breeding pigs, creating livelihoods for the poor.

It can be said that accompanying and supporting poor and vulnerable women and children is one of the key and priority activities of women's associations at all levels in the province in recent times. For example, the Women's Union of Do Luong district has focused on supporting livelihood models through livestock such as chickens, pigs, goats, and cows; providing savings accounts; supporting health insurance cards; supporting scholarships; donating bicycles, desks, chairs, books, and clothes for children's studies from the "Turning waste into useful work" fund; and mobilizing contributions from members, philanthropists, and children living away from home.

For example, the Women's Union of Nghi Loc district has a model of "adopting children" for orphans and children with special circumstances. Besides the District Union adopting two children, each commune and town currently takes care of 1-3 children. The Women's Union of Quynh Luu district, in addition to building "Houses of Love" and supporting livelihoods, also assists single-parent women and women in difficult circumstances with seasonal work, ensuring they have a source of income from production…

Supporting and assisting poor and vulnerable women and children has been one of the key priorities of women's associations at all levels in the province in recent times.

Contributing to social welfare goals.

Ms. Le Thi Huong Giang - Vice PresidentNghe An Provincial Women's UnionSharing: Those working in women's organizations at all levels are closer to and understand the hardships and disadvantages faced by poor women and those in difficult circumstances better than anyone else. Especially when facing poverty, these women often feel inferior. This is both a hindrance to poor women striving for a stable life and a barrier to social welfare and equality in human development in general.

One of the important functions of women's associations at all levels is to care for and protect the legitimate rights and interests of women.

Ms. Le Thi Huong Giang shared

The Provincial Women's Union provided support in the form of cattle, creating livelihoods for the Dan Lai ethnic minority people (Con Cuong district).

With the desire to create more motivation and strength, and to help disadvantaged women and children confidently rise up in life; and at the same time to demonstrate the role of women's organizations in poverty reduction, social welfare implementation, and new rural development, in recent times, women's organizations from the provincial to the grassroots level have actively and creatively implemented many movements and activities under the theme "Accompanying disadvantaged women and children". The approach of women's organizations at all levels is to review and categorize groups to provide appropriate assistance and support to each target group. This includes building "Shelters of Love"; supporting livelihoods with seedlings and livestock; providing financial assistance for medical treatment, household items, monthly food support, and support for labor and production…

Over the past five years, more than 18,000 poor and vulnerable women and children have received support; including assistance in building and repairing 837 "Houses of Love," worth nearly 17 billion VND. Responding to the "Million Gifts Sharing Love" program launched by the Vietnam Women's Union, after two months, the entire province has distributed 8,436 gifts to poor and disadvantaged women and children, worth over 3.2 billion VND…

The "Turning Waste into Useful Jobs" movement has been widely developed at all levels of women's associations to create additional resources to support poor and vulnerable women and children.

Supporting and assisting poor and vulnerable women and children continues to be identified as one of the key tasks of women's associations at all levels in Nghe An province during the 2021-2026 term. This is because many social issues directly impact women's health, employment, and income, including the complex Covid-19 pandemic, contributing to motivating women to rise up and ensuring social security throughout the province.