Authorities at local level in Da Nang are joining efforts with social organizations to adopt practical measures to support local poor and near-poor households, contributing to ensure the effective implementation of the national target program on sustainable poverty reduction.

Leaders of Thanh Khe District’s Thanh Khe Tay Ward People's Committee giving means of livelihood to the poor. Photo: NGOC HA

In the past time, social organizations in Thanh Khe District’s Thanh Khe Tay Ward have launched many models to help families lift themselves out of poverty. Included were employment introduction groups, clothing manufacturing groups, handbag making groups, and the movement of good farmers in production and business. These models have helped the poor to earn monthly income of VND 3-7 million from domestic job, clothes making and sewing, manual labor job, and other works, contributing to stabilizing their lives. The ward’s associations have acted as guarantors to help 14 poor and near-poor households to get a loan from Job Creation Fund with a total amount of nearly VND 600 million to run their own businesses in order to improve their family economy. In addition, they have been provided with free vocational training.

Mrs Le Thi Nhat Dieu, the Chairwoman of the Thanh Khe Tay Ward People’s Committee, said that the ward authority has coordinated with local mass organizations to hold direct dialogue with poor households to capture their needs and aspirations since the beginning of the year in a bid to create appropriate solutions to support them , thereby improving the effectiveness of the ward’s programmes in reducing poverty.

“The Ward authority has identified employment creation for members of poor households as a long-term solution that enables them to escape poverty sustainably and minimise the likelihood of returning to living in poverty again. Besides, importance is attached to facilitating these people’s access to welfare benefits, including free health insurance cards. From April, the ward will open a charity store on the last Saturday of every month in order to allow poor households, those with life threatening illnesses, those in difficult circumstances to choose and buy essential items on store shelves for zero dong. Furthermore, heed is paid to collecting used items from local residents in an attempt to enable poor people to choose the right one that is essential to them to reuse. Special attention is paid to offering free meals and drinks to the poor. These practical activities are part of our efforts to support people in difficult circumstances, thereby contributing to ensuring effective implementation of the city’s poverty reduction and social welfare proggrams," said Mrs Dieu.

Sharing the same opinion as Mrs Dieu, Mr. Tran Van Duong, the Vice Chairman of Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Phuoc Communal People's Committee highlighted the importance of optimal approaches to resilience and sustainable poverty escapes in the commune.

The commune's Steering Committee for Poverty Reduction is keeping a close eye on poor and near-poor households that have been provided with livelihoods support with a focus on supporting them to raise livestock and poultry, and trade in groceries and soft drinks, as well as grow organic vegetables.

“The communal authority is working closely with donors who support livelihoods for the poor to reach each eligible family in order to help them know how to do business effectively, as well as carry out a supervisory visit to them once every six months in an effort to make sure that poor families are provided with the right support to help them improve their living conditions” said Mr. Duong.

In early 2022, there were 1,053 poor households and 420 near-poor households in Ngu Hanh Son District. However, the district has used the sustainable livelihood approach as a strategy towards poverty alleviation to lift 357 poor households and 122 near-poor households out of poverty by late 2022. The focus has been paid to facilitating their access to credit, livelihoods, education, and welfare benefits, plus the support for the construction and repair of their houses.

Mr Mai Xuan Linh, the Manager of the Ngu Hanh Son District Division of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said that the district strives to lift 300 poor households with working capacity and 100 near-poor households out of poverty in 2023. The focus is on taking synchronous solutions that allow poor households access a loan from the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) and other lending sources such as Fund for Poor Women to help them to do business to improve their living conditions. In addition, heed is paid to facilitating their access to health care and education, and social protection, plus the support for the construction and repair of their houses.

According to the Da Nang Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in recent years, authorities at local level in Da Nang have implemented effectively national and municipal policies to support poor and near-poor households according to the poverty line in the city. Besides, the city has conducted best practices and optimized its resources for sustainable poverty reduction. Included are financial support worth VND 50 million and VND 20 million for poor families to build new houses, and repair their houses, respectively, along with free health insurance cards for members of poor and near-poor households, and continued tuition waivers for children from poor families two years after they escape from poverty.

Furthermore, the Da Nang People's Council has already approved a policy to support 20% of the total medical examination and treatment costs for poor households in accordance with the city's poverty threshold while these people are eligible to get the same benefits of health care services as poor households based on the national poverty line. Moreover, the city is offering zero interest loans to families living in extreme poverty in addition to granting monthly allowance for poor people with life threatening illnesses, poor older adults, orphans, and other eligible people.

Reporting by NGOC HA – Translating by H.L