This morning, I joined the Thien Chi coworker and the local community partner on another round of family visits.
The first family was Mrs. Nguyen Thi Co, who lost her husband four years ago and now lives with her four sons. Each of them faces a different reality: the eldest suffers from a mild mental illness and cannot find employment, so he stays at home to help his mother; the second works as a day laborer; the third, once married with a daughter, is now separated as his wife returned to her family; and the youngest fell into bad company and ended up in a rehabilitation center.
In the past, Mrs. Co worked with dragon fruit, but flooding and root damage forced her to abandon it. Now, she earns a living by cooking food for sale, and she feeds the leftovers to her ducks. Recently, she sold a group of ducks, earning 150 USD after five months of care. Thanks to additional capital support from Thien Chi, she is now able to expand her small business and raise more ducks to improve her family’s livelihood.
The second family we visited was Mrs. Thu. She once raised her daughter alone after a divorce but recently remarried and welcomed a new baby girl, now five months old. Her husband works as a laborer, earning around 8 USD per day. Before her maternity leave, Mrs. Thu ran a small hair salon, earning a similar amount, and she hopes to reopen it in October 2025.
Back in 2022 she damaged the cartilage in her knee. Friends and relatives lent her money for surgery and medical care, and since then she has worked hard to repay that debt. She joined Thien Chi in October 2024 and received a loan to buy equipment and supplies for her salon, giving her the opportunity to relaunch her business and regain financial stability.
The third family we were meant to visit could not receive us, as their employer did not allow them a day off.
Beyond the visits, I also learned more about the broader context of Thien Chi’s work. Dragon fruit farming remains the main source of income for 80% of the families in this region. Even though the market is unstable, largely dependent on Chinese demand, and the rainy season often damages crops, many continue to cultivate it because, twenty years ago, it was highly profitable. Replacing the trees is also extremely difficult, as their deep roots leave the soil unsuitable for new crops for nearly a year. Thien Chi encourages families to diversify their production, but ultimately, the choice is theirs.
For families who raise ducks or chickens, the NGO provides training sessions every three to six months before issuing new loans. These sessions explain best practices for vaccination, preventing overcrowding (to reduce disease risk), and overall animal health. For dragon fruit farmers, training focuses on diversification strategies, monitoring tree health, and troubleshooting problems. Families can also call an emergency hotline if urgent help is needed.
Education support is another key part of Thien Chi’s work. Across three regions, the NGO provides between 800 and 1,200 scholarships every year, with 300 to 400 awarded in each region. In the province where I am based, the process begins in May with a list of 200 candidates. Local representatives and Thien Chi staff then visit and evaluate each case carefully before final selections are made. The scholarships are distributed in September, helping students from disadvantaged families continue their education during the critical high school years.
Leticia