The ‘Reducing Income- and Health-Related Vulnerability of Older Persons in Viet Nam’ project (VIE071) is supporting Da Nang to establish many intergenerational self-help clubs (ISHCs) with the participation of many seniors from July 2021 to the end of June 2024.

The intergenerational self-help club of Duong Son Village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang present gifts to its members in financial need on the occasion of the 2022 Lunar New Year festival. Photo: LE VAN THOM

VIE071 project is sponsored by the Japanese government through Japan Social Development Fund entrusted to the World Bank.

The objective of Project VIE071 is to increase the participation of the elderly in income-generating activities as well as their use of community-based health and social care services, through the activities of intergenerational self-help clubs.

The project has been implemented in six Vietnamese cities and provinces, namely Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan.

The total expected number of direct beneficiaries of the ISHCs' interventions is 18,000 persons aged 60 years and older, of which around 55 percent will be female, in 180 target communities in the six provinces.

The project is committed to reducing income and health related vulnerability of older persons through activities to increase income and the use of health self-care and community-based health care services.

Mr. Thai Dinh Hoang, Deputy Head of the Representative Committee of the Da Nang Elderly Association, in charge of Project VIE071, said, “The intergenerational self-help club is established in a village or residential area with a scale of 50 – 70 members who are the elderly, women and those from  households living under the city’s poverty thresholds.

Each club is supported with VND115 million from Project VIE071 and VND15 million from the fund to take care of and promote the role of the elderly in wards and communes.

The club's management board uses the aforementioned funding to provide low-interest loans to poor members to create small economic models for an increase in their family income.

Clubs are also provided with blood pressure and diabetes monitors, along with physical exercise equipment and tools by the project, and granted funds to organise health care activities for their senior members.

In 2021, the Da Nang Elderly Association's Representative Board cooperated with the Project VIE071 staff to advocate the establishment of 10 intergenerational self-help clubs in Thanh Khe, Cam Le and Hoa Vang districts.

Despite many obstacles triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the clubs organised many activities and achieved initial results.

For example, an intergenerational self-help club in Binh Hoa 3 residential quarter, Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le District was established on November 25, 2021 with 55 members, divided into 3 groups of volunteers in charge of offering publicity, income enhancement assistance and health care support, respectively for the elderly.

The club has provided preferential loans to 22 households so that they can operate small business services to earn money.

A senior woman has received VND 7 million in loan from the club to run a scrap trade agent, making a daily profit of nearly VND100,000. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Phu, a single poor woman now gets
medical care from volunteers from the club and she is usually taken to hospital by them in case of turning sick.

Meanwhile, the intergenerational self-help club in Duong Son Village, Hoa Chau Commune, Hoa Vang District has actively guided its members to make dishwashing liquid and cleaning products from vegetables and fruits, a way that not only saves money but also make use of spoiled vegetables to make useful products for daily use and protect the environment as well.

Chairman of the intergenerational self-help club in Duong Son Village Nguyen Thi Chuan said, “As compared to cleaning chemicals that often damage the hand skin of the hands, using probiotics does not harm the skin at all, and generates a comfortable scent as well.”.

In residential area 7 Xuan Hoa A, Hoa Khe Ward, Thanh Khe Fistrict, 62-year-old Huynh Quoc Thanh, who was paralyzed and unable to walk normally, was in extremely difficult circumstances.

In a supportive move for him, the intergenerational self-help club in this residential quarter coordinated with mass organisations to grant nearly VND 20 million for Thanh so that he can cover the costs of  rice and essential supplies.

Club members also often come to Thanh’s house to give him a helping hand in doming housework.

Given the support given by the inter-generational self-help club, he has more energy to overcome difficulties in life.

Despite their debuts made in the face of the complicated COVID-19 developments, intergenerational self-help clubs have brought in many benefits to the elderly.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoan My, a VIE071 project officer in Da Nang said, “This is the first time the Japanese government has sponsored the model of intergenerational self-help club in Viet Nam. Project  VIE071 is deeply humane, bringing many benefits to the elderly.”

Reporting by LE VAN THOM – translating by A.THU