Women from Nghe An province write the 'green dream'.

Female pharmacist rises above disability.

On a three-wheeled vehicle designed for people with disabilities, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong (born in 1982) led us to the "Recirculating Hydroponic Water Spinach Farming" model in Nghi Huong ward, Cua Lo town.

Those who interact with Ms. Phuong will almost certainly forget her disabled legs, forget that she is a second-generation victim of Agent Orange, and instead, they will forever remember her radiant face and quick movements in communication and work. Perhaps this positive energy motivated her to research and learn in order to implement a meaningful model aimed at enhancing the value of the local water spinach crop, earning her the Encouragement Award in the competition."National Women's Entrepreneurship and Green Transformation Campaign 2024".

Born and raised in Nghi Huong, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong is familiar with the gardens densely planted with pennywort. This simple herb not only makes delicious dishes for family meals but also serves as an ingredient for a fragrant, refreshing drink that soothes the harsh summer sun and wind of this coastal region.

However, with limited land and a large population, it is becoming increasingly difficult for water spinach, which used to thrive in spacious garden plots, to find suitable places to grow. From this reality, Ms. Phuong conceived the idea of ​​developing a model for growing water spinach that is both clean, safe, and space-saving. Meeting these two conditions is only possible with hydroponic cultivation.

As a pharmacist with a constant desire to learn about biology, she researched various materials and, together with her husband, invested 200 million VND to build a model farm covering an area of ​​over 200 square meters.²The project involves installing over 1,200 meters of pipelines to hold aquatic water, each with holes drilled to create a substrate for an ideal growing environment for water spinach. Beneath the pipeline system are adjacent fish ponds, creating a harmonious integration between farming and livestock. The model yielded its first harvest of nearly 100 kg of produce at the end of September.

According to experts, the purslane plants grown in Ms. Phuong's model thrive, maintaining consistent quality, and are popular with customers after drying. Although there are still many things that need to be perfected to bring the model into operation and development, with their tireless efforts, Ms. Phuong and her husband believe that it will not be difficult to achieve.

Accompanying his wife throughout this journey, Mr. Phan Le Han shared that since birth, his wife's legs have been almost completely immobile, and she grew up with crutches and a wheelchair. Instead of becoming discouraged or self-conscious, with an optimistic spirit, Ms. Phuong studied with passion and determination. After graduating from high school, she passed the entrance exam to Nghe An Medical College, majoring in Pharmacy.

In 2008, she graduated and applied for jobs at many medical facilities and businesses; however, due to the disadvantage of not being able to move around freely, she had almost no chance of being hired.

Therefore, since 2010, she has opened her own pharmacy to sell medicine. Initially, it was just small, simple boxes of medicine, but with her professional knowledge, she worked hard to expand the store. Now, as she is determined to find a new direction to build a new economic model, her husband always places his trust in her and wholeheartedly supports her.

He believes that this model is not only an advanced farming method but also a way for Ms. Phuong to demonstrate her resilience. Watching his wife drive the three-wheeled vehicle back and forth every day from the shop to the vegetable farm, he smiled and confided, "That's her, always full of positive energy, always strong enough to overcome all obstacles, becoming an inspiration for me and everyone around her..."

Building a green brand from scratch.

In recent days, the news that the project "Nutritional Ecosystem from Green Agricultural Products" by Ms. Nguyen Thi Men (born in 1991) - Director of Mom Beauty Production and Trading Co., Ltd. (Vinh City) - was awarded the Special Prize at the 2024 National "Women's Creative Entrepreneurship and Green Transformation" Competition has brought great pride to women in Nghe An.

Few people know that behind that remarkable achievement lies a long journey of building a career from scratch by a young woman from the mountainous district of Tan Ky.

Mến shared that she was born into a farming family in Nghĩa Đồng commune, Tân Kỳ district. In 2015, she got married and moved from her hometown to Vinh city. Having graduated with a degree in Accounting, she always dreamed of working in her field. However, because she had just given birth, she temporarily put her dream aside to fulfill her role as a mother. Noticing her child's stunted growth, she was very worried and tried making various kinds of baby food. Seeing her child's health and physical condition improving, she shared the products she made on social media.

These posts attracted a lot of attention from mothers both within and outside the city. From there, they placed their first orders, asking her to make the products for them. As the number of customers grew, she had to rent a room, buy machinery, and focus on perfecting each product. By 2018, recognizing the increasing demand for nutritious cereal powder, she decided to establish a company.

When she started her business, she faced many difficulties due to limited capital and fierce market competition. However, with her business acumen and considerable experience in creating quality products, she gradually managed the company to overcome these challenges.

After much effort, her company has achieved many successes, such as being in the Top 10 Famous ASEAN Brands - Products/Services in 2022; Top 10 Golden Star Vietnamese Brands in 2020 and 2023; and receiving a 4-star OCOP quality certification from the People's Committee of Nghe An province… However, for her, the most important thing is that she has become a source of support and inspiration, helping many women achieve stable income from her business model.

In addition to employing 50 female workers directly in the production workshops, she has also expanded her chain to 46 retail stores nationwide. From these stores, over 2,000 mothers have connected with distributors and retailers to build sales channels, contributing to economic independence and a stable life. Furthermore, she acts as a bridge to sell agricultural products for 19 farming households specializing in grain cultivation in Tan Ky, Nam Dan, Nghia Dan, and Hung Nguyen districts, ensuring a stable supply.

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This is not just a journey to build a brand; more importantly, we want to spread confidence and encourage the women around us to dare to pursue their dreams. We believe that every woman has the right to dream and can turn those dreams into reality through determination and relentless effort...

Ms. Nguyen Thi Men

Thanh Quynh