TYM Nghe An: Providing small capital, creating opportunities for thousands of women to rise up.
Operating in 70 communes and wards with over 60,000 customers, TYM Nghe An is affirming its role as an effective microfinance model for women's associations. Small but humane loans, simple procedures, and the unwavering support of TYM staff have created opportunities for thousands of women to improve their lives.
Provide small amounts of capital, create big changes.
One day, accompanying TYM staff from the Hung Nguyen branch, we heard many stories of overcoming hardship that could move anyone. Among them, the remarkable journey of Ms. Pham Thi Phuong from Hamlet 4, Lam Thanh Commune, left the strongest impression. The woman still gets teary-eyed when recalling her difficult life nearly 20 years ago.
In 2008, after a long period of struggling to make a living on the small boat her parents gave her, she and her husband rented a small plot of land by the river to live in. Their only capital was 3.5 million dong to build a temporary shelter, and they still owed an additional 1.5 million dong for materials and labor. In this desperate situation, at a women's association meeting, a TYM (a local health center) officer noticed her plight and decided to lend her 1 million dong – an amount she called her "lifesaving capital."
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From that initial belief, Ms. Phuong and her husband felt empowered. Besides fishing for shrimp and fish on the river, she also bought shrimp and fish from others to sell at the market for profit. After borrowing from 1 million to 1.5 million, then 2 million, 5 million, 10 million dong…, even though she has now built a spacious two-story house and her finances have improved, she continues to borrow 50 million dong from TYM to maintain her saving habit.
Ms. Phuong shared: “Borrowing from TYM immediately gave me a substantial amount of savings. I pay over 1 million VND per week, including both principal and interest, and by the end of the year, when the debt is paid off, I have a substantial sum accumulated. This kind of loan helps me be diligent, prevents me from being lazy, and keeps me from spending recklessly.” Not only has it changed her own life, but Ms. Phuong has also connected many other disadvantaged women to TYM and is currently the head of a loan group with over 60 members in her area.
Borrowing from TYM is like having a "pocket of money" for savings. Paying over 1 million VND per week, including principal and interest, by the end of the year, the debt is paid off and I have a substantial amount saved.
Ms. Pham Thi Phuong lives in Hamlet 4, Lam Thanh Commune.
It's not just Ms. Phuong; most of the women we met affirmed: "Having a spacious house and improved finances is thanks to TYM." For them, a small loan is the foundation to start a new journey. Some women borrow money once a year, using it for a different purpose: one year laying the foundation, another year buying bricks, another year gathering steel and cement... Saving little by little, their dream house is completed with their own sweat and effort.
Some women view the loan as a way to "force themselves to save"; others use the capital to buy cattle, pigs, and chickens, open restaurants, grocery stores, or trade in the market, thus having work and increasing their stable income.
According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Dieu, Deputy Director of TYM Hung Nguyen Branch, the special thing about TYM is not the amount of money, but its approach: “We assess the willpower, determination, and diligence of our customers, not their circumstances. Small capital, given to the right people at the right time, will create big changes.” Ms. Dieu said that TYM not only provides loans but also guides women in financial planning, trains them in business skills, promotes digital transformation, and organizes visits to successful economic models… to help women become more confident and proactive in developing their livelihoods.
Seeing new houses springing up, small stalls opening, and women boldly overcoming their fear of poverty, the vitality of "microcapital" becomes clear. Quietly but persistently, TYM is silently creating positive changes for rural women – from a small loan, but sowing the seeds for big dreams.
TYM not only provides loans but also guides women in financial planning, trains them in business skills, promotes digital transformation, and organizes visits to successful economic models… all aimed at helping women become more confident and proactive in developing their livelihoods.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh Dieu - Deputy Director of TYM Hung Nguyen Branch
Expanding the customer base, improving service quality, and spreading humanitarian values.
It's no coincidence that TYM is considered the most effective microfinance model of the Vietnam Women's Union. According to Mr. Vo Van Dong, Director of TYM branches in Nghe An: TYM's operating philosophy is consistent: small capital - gradual repayment - no collateral required, targeting poor and near-poor women and those with limited access to bank loans. TYM's strengths lie in its simple procedures, lending directly to villages and hamlets, no application fees; loan amounts increasing gradually with each cycle; and flexible principal and interest repayment mechanisms on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis, suitable for the small cash flow of households. Thanks to this, TYM capital becomes a "healthy source of funds," helping women maintain saving habits, work disciplinedly, reduce wasteful spending, and expand sustainable livelihoods.
Based on these distinctive values, TYM Nghe An's operations in 2025 continued to achieve outstanding results. In just the first 10 months of 2025, TYM acquired 6,336 new customers, bringing the total to 60,632, reaching 102% of the annual plan. The unit currently operates in 70 out of 130 communes and wards, with 1,498 clusters throughout the province. Capital management was carried out rigorously, with a 100% repayment rate, demonstrating the discipline and effectiveness of the microfinance model.
Total disbursed capital reached over 1,010 billion VND, with 60,632 customers receiving loans; total outstanding loans amounted to 690 billion VND. Simultaneously, TYM Nghe An also serves as an important savings mobilization channel, with total outstanding savings of nearly 720 billion VND, contributing to the development of positive financial habits among rural women.
Digital transformation activities have been accelerated with 19,197 customers using the TYM Mobile App and 18,869 people making cashless payments, helping to reduce costs, increase transaction transparency, and enhance service experience.
Beyond business development, TYM Nghe An also prioritizes social responsibility. In the first 10 months of 2025, its branches sponsored 10 orphaned children in extremely difficult circumstances (300,000 VND/month for at least 3 years or until they finish high school); supported the construction of 2 "Houses of Love"; provided livelihoods for 10 families; awarded 7 scholarships to poor students; assisted over 400 customers affected by natural disasters; and provided free medical examinations and medicine to nearly 900 people. The total expenditure for these social activities exceeded 1 billion VND.
Building on its achievements, TYM Nghe An aims to further expand its service area, diversify its customer base, broaden credit and savings programs, improve service quality, strongly promote digital transformation, and enhance community activities in 2026. Moving towards a more modern and professional microfinance model, TYM remains steadfast in its core values: For poor women, for the sustainable development of the community.
Mr. Vo Van Dong - Director of TYM branches in Nghe An