The effectiveness of Vingroup's youth volunteer support program

(Baonghean) - Vingroup Corporation's heifer breeding support program over the past 2 years has really helpedfor many former youth volunteers in Con Cuong district to improve their lives.

In 2015, Thien Tam Fund - Vingroup Corporation supported 10 former youth volunteers in especially difficult circumstances in Con Cuong district with 10 breeding cows, each worth 18 - 20 million VND.

The members of the Veterans Association signed a commitment that after receiving the breeding cows, they would take good care of them so that they could reproduce. The first calves were given to other poor members to raise, while the mother cows were completely owned by the family that adopted them.

Up to now, there have been 3 mother cows giving birth to their first litter, the first calf was given by the Con Cuong District Veterans Association to member Lo Thi Chien in Tat village, Chi Khe commune; the calf is worth 15 million VND, received from a comrade, Mr. Nguyen Van Su in Lien Tan village, Bong Khe commune.

Ms. Lo Thi Chien, a member of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Ban Tat, Chi Khe commune, emotionally said: "My family has two old grandparents, and only one son who passed away, leaving behind two grandchildren. Now the grandchildren are grown up thanks to the help of their comrades. I thank you very much."

With the help of her teammates, Ms. Lo Thi Chien in Tat village, Chi Khe commune (Con Cuong) received a calf worth 15 million VND. Photo: Tuong Vi

Or like poor member Nguyen Van Tu in Tan Dan village, Bong Khe commune, who once joined the youth volunteer force and then joined the army, dedicating his youth to the Fatherland, fighting with his comrades to protect the country. When he returned, he still persisted in developing the family economy, however, due to the small land, large population, and unfavorable weather, the crop failed, and the family's life fell into poverty.

Seeing that, in 2016, his teammates donated 10 million VND for Mr. Tu to borrow capital to do business, encouraging him to continue raising chickens, growing bananas, and growing more crops.

Thanks to his diligence and hard work, not disappointing his teammates' expectations of help, Mr. Tu invested in a banana garden with over 20 banana trees, more than 10 hens, and 1 breeding pig. A year later, the harvest from fruits, eggs sold daily, and the money from selling his family's pigs was enough to pay back the capital to his teammates; not only that, he also had money to invest in 120 orange trees, 50 guava trees, and a pilot watermelon growing model, which was successful. The orange trees are currently growing well and will be ready for harvest in a few years.

Seeing the economic efficiency of the family but still lacking the strength to plow, the Con Cuong District Veterans Association gave the family a breeding cow from the female calf breeding support program supported by the Thien Tam Fund. Thanks to good care and disease prevention, the mother cow has now given birth to a calf. Mr. Tu is taking care of the calf so that at the end of the year, he can give it to another poor comrade to adopt, while the mother cow belongs to the family. Mr. Tu's family has also escaped poverty.

Mr. Nguyen Van Tu has adopted and cared for the breeding cow, which has now given birth to a calf to be given to another disadvantaged member to adopt. Photo: Tuong Vi

The project of lending breeding heifers to support poor former Youth Volunteers in Con Cuong district has created opportunities for comrades to unite, share, and help each other with difficulties in life, continue to develop production, and sustainably eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.

Ms. Le Thi Huyen - President of the Con Cuong District Veterans Association said that according to statistics from the Provincial Veterans Association, the district's cows are cared for best and most effectively; the association also regularly checks and promptly reports to the commune veterinary staff to prevent diseases in time, so this year 4 more calves were born; a total of 7 calves will be given to 7 poor members.

The program to support female calves for breeding has helped 10 poor members of the Con Cuong Youth Volunteer Association have capital for sustainable business and will help many other members have breeding calves to develop their family economy.

This is a sustainable way to escape poverty that Con Cuong district is also applying when supporting breeding animals for poor households in the district; from there, people have more motivation, responsibility, and awareness of self-reliance to overcome poverty, avoiding the situation of waiting and relying on others in the style of "suffering but not working hard"./.

Tuong Vi