Hoa Binh Program Area

Hoa Binh is a northwestern mountainous province of Vietnam. The province has a diverse population with 65% coming from Muong and the rest from Kinh (Viet), Thai, Dao, Tay, Hoa and H’mong.

When beginning our community development programs in Hoa Binh the socio economic conditions were challenging. According to ChildFund’s basic survey results conducted in 1997, the poverty rate was as high as 32%. There was a critical need for water and sanitation facilities in the communities.

Preschools and primary schools in the project communes were in poor conditions. The quality of local healthcare was poor due to low understanding of the local people, shortages of human resources and poor facilities. The result was a high rate of infant mortality and malnutrition in children underfive and a high rate of preventable diseases.

Due to the mountainous and hilly geographic conditions, most communes do not have much land for farming and need to make the most of each season and piece of land. Households in the project areas can traditionally produce as much food as their need for 8-9 months of a year. During the months in between crops, many household are severely affected by food shortages, which leads to unstable life quality of the local people in general and children in particular.

Some of the challenges that children and people in Hoa Binh are facing include:

• Lack of understanding about child safety
• Ineffectiveness of child protection system due to lack of human resources and low competency
• Low capacity to carry out public healthcare services to mothers and children under five
• Inadequate access to sanitation facilities and practice

Projects that ChildFund is supporting in the area:

• ChildFund Swipe Safe
• Women Economic Empowerment
• Improving Child Protection Effectiveness
• WASH for All
• Taking care of Mother and Child
• Quality Education for Ethnic Minority Children