The story of Ms. Lanh, from Duc Hanh commune, Duc Linh district, Binh Thuan province, is a specific example of the effectiveness that community capital brings to disadvantaged households in 2023. Ms. Nguyen Thi Lanh, born in 1959, shoulders the small and frail responsibility of raising four children on her own since her husband passed away early. As her children grew up and started their own families, they faced difficulties, and she couldn't receive much assistance from them. She also had to take care of a child born in 1985 who unfortunately developed mental health issues from a young age. The burden on the shoulders of this 65-year-old woman is heavier than ever.
"I want to do something around the house to have time to take care of my child, but getting a loan is too much, and doing odd jobs is risky as there's (a child with mental health issues) at home," she said with a determined look and a heavy heart. She continued, "Before, I used to work as a hired laborer to have money for medicine and food for me and my two children, but it wasn't enough. My child doesn't know how to take care of themselves, often runs outside, so I have no choice but to lock them at home until I come back from work." Despite her age, Ms. Lanh's strong spirit, love for her children, and patience have helped her overcome every challenging stage of life. With the support of Super App MoMo, the Piggy Community, and generous individuals nationwide, the Charity Center has assisted her in raising two piglets, providing her with capital to buy feed for the piglets. The Charity Center supported her throughout the pig farming process, and after the pigs grew, she sold them and repaid the capital to the Charity Center, then continued with a new cycle.
In addition to pig farming, with the capital support, she bought fertilizer and plant medicine to utilize a one-acre plot of her family to grow vegetables. She can now supply food for her family and earn additional income. Every day, she earns about 100,000 VND from selling vegetables to neighbors, and with the surplus, she takes them to the market, gradually stabilizing her family's finances. After 17 years of working with the disadvantaged community, the Charity Center understands the community better than ever. The needs of disadvantaged households range from 3 to 5 million VND. After providing capital support, the Charity Center conducts training sessions for households and visits them monthly to ensure they have the necessary agricultural knowledge and minimize risks from borrowed capital. The capital support for these families always ensures a 0% interest rate. The partnership with the Piggy Community will be the most valuable gift for the poor community in the new year of 2024.