Despite the impact of ongoing COVID-19, the project for supporting women’s startups (also known as Project No.939) during the 2017-2025 period has achieved great success as assisting thousands of women across Da Nang to start their own businesses with eco-friendly products.

Products made by the Minh Hong Biotechnology Co. Ltd, are on display at the Da Nang Women's Union-organised ''Women's Innovative Startups'' Festival 2021.

'Startup ideas' contest proves effective

When being asked about the early days of implementing the ‘Supporting women’s startups’ project, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Huyen, Vice President of the Da Nang Women's Union (WU) recalled “Not only women, but the union’s officials also expressed apprehension when hearing the word ‘start-up’. In their mind, a startup must be something big and demand in terms of capital, market, technology, management, and others. However, thanks to the rise of such social networking sites as website, Facebook, and contact groups of zalo and viber, members of the union and its chapters citywide gradually got acquainted and then boldly registered for training classes on startup".

As a result, during the 2017-2021 period, the municipal WU and its chapters across the city has publicised the project to 8,512 turns of officials and members. Also, the annual 'Startup ideas' contest has created an attractive playground for many women's members.

In addition, after five years of implementing the project, the municipal WU has received 822 startup ideas from its members and supported 753 outstanding ideas. Of the figure, 28 ideas entered the final round of the city-level ‘Startup Ideas’ contest, and 32 selected to national-level startup competitions.

Eco-friendly production and business

A very remarkable thing about the implementation of the Project No.939 in the city is that right from the training stages to bank loans, all of which come with requirements of ensuring environmentally friendly production and business.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Thu, Chairwoman of the Thanh Khe District chapter of the WU, emphasised, from the very first stage, all start-up businesses were committed to saying ‘No’ to environmental pollution.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuc My from Son Tra District’s Tho Quang Ward, who developed a startup idea of ​​creative bonsai Mymyviet garden, said, apart from being a family's traditional profession, this work was an environmentally friendly activity.

“For this specific purpose, most of the bonsai packaging we sell to customers, we use natural materials such as bamboo and coconut stalks and leaves. Especially, at my facility, we don't use chemicals at all” added she.

With the same thought, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bong from Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Nhon Commune with a startup idea of Hoa Nhon ‘cu kieu’ (pickled scallion heads), confided “All of our products are strictly in compliance with Viet Nam Good Agricultural Practices (VietGap) standards. We always put quality and safety first”.

Not only succeeding with the startup idea "Turn waste into useful products for the community", Mrs. Tran Thi Thu Hong, Director of the Minh Hong Biotechnology Co. Ltd, located in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, is also a strong inspiration to the other young people who want to start their own businesses.

Initiated by Mrs. Hong, such models as ‘Love capital contribution group’, ‘2T savings group’, and ‘Youth team involved in environment protection activities’ have attracted hundreds of participants over recent years.

Thanks to combination with the criteria of environmentally friendly production and business, many women succeed with their own start-up ideas. Specifically-mentioned are ‘LEO Handmade’, beauty products made from nature, by Nguyen Huynh Anh in Son Tra District, unburnt bricks by Nguyen Thi Duyen in Cam Le District, Phuc Hau agarwood by a group of women in Ngu Hanh Son District, Thuan An fish sauce by a group of women in Thanh Khe District, and natural herbal oil by Phan Da Thao in Hoa Vang District. Such women have really become a source of positive encouragement for others in the city to boldly participate in the project.

Reporting by THANH VAN – Translating by M.DUNG