Youth Union organizations across Da Nang’s Lien Chieu District identifies the providing of their support for young people to start a business as one of their key tasks. Hence, young people are motivated and supported in different ways in a bid to help them start a successful business.

Boldly investing in startups

Coming from a poor family, but with bravery and enthusiasm of a former secretary of the residential area’s youth union organization, Mr Le Van Hai, a resident of Hoa Hiep Nam Ward was determined to start a business involved in the printing and advertising design services. He started to open an advertising facility in 2008 with 5 million VND in funding from Lien Chieu District’s Youth Union organization, and his accumulated money.

Till date, he has expanded its business into the entire city and neighboring localities, helping him earn between VND 10 million and VND 15 million per month. In addition, he also provided vocational training and employment support for more than 10 local young people.

 “I have previously had a lot of different jobs but loved advertising design so I tried my best to learn about this job field and then borrowed money to set up an advertising business. Lien Chieu District’s Youth Union organization helped me connect with customers. Therefore, I have built customer trust gradually for my advertising business in order to help me attract and retain customers," Mr. Hai said.

In its efforts to fuel the sustainable development of Mr Hai’s advertising business, create employment opportunities for local people, Lien Chieu District’s Youth Union organization worked with the Lien Chieu District branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) to help him get a VND 100 million loan in September.

“This loan is really meaningful to me as I have enough money to buy more hi-tech paper cutting machines in order to allow me to expand my business and to create more jobs for local young people," Mr. Hai said excitedly.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Canh, a resident of Hoa Hiep Bac Ward started a business in farming black tiger shrimp in 2017, with an initial capital of more than VND 200 million. Mr. Canh said that he has till date built 12 shrimp breeding ponds and 4 shrimp nursery ponds while his shrimp farming has produced 15 million shrimp seeds a year on average.

“Although my shrimp farming is small, I have gained customer trust, and attracted many customers to buy shrimp seeds and established long-term cooperation with my customers. My farming generates between VND 100 million and VND 200 million in revenue every year. However, I sometimes encounter difficulties due to a lack of the seawater sources for shrimp farming. In the coming time, I am planning to borrow more money to provide high-quality seawater sources for my farming, and use advanced breeding techniques," Mr. Canh said.

Similarly, Nguyen Truong Giang has taken advantage of his family's vacant land to start a black snail farming. He has now begun to expand his farm operation that will offer many promises for the future after the success of a year-long trial.

Side by side support for young people

Lien Chieu District now has more than 5,200 youth union members and more than 14,000 youth members. They are young force, enthusiastic, creative, confident, dare to think, dare to do, have a will to overcome difficulties to establish themselves in their career. In its efforts to support youth union members and young people in starting their own businesses, in 2022, the District’s Youth Union organization provided VND 5 million in funding for each of the two 2 creative business ideas related to environmental protection for the sake of the environment and the community.

The District’s Youth Union organization regularly works with the local Economic Office to provide effective careers advice and guidance to young people, as well as support them in getting employment. Furthermore, importance is attached to facilitating young people to access preferential loan from the District Branch of VBSP to start a business. To date, the District’s Youth Union organization has provided credit guarantees for young people to access loan totaling more than VND  120 billion from 63 credit organizations to help them run their own business.  

Mr. Le The Nhan, the Vice Chairman of Lien Chieu District People's Committee, said that the startup movement among young people has produced good results, and created many business ideas with low investment and high profits, thereby helping them make money from their business, and create more jobs for local people.

Reporting by TRONG HUNG – Translating by H.L