Traditional unique products Four years ago, Tan Phong commune in Tien Giang province’s Cai Lay district was a relatively unknown destination for tourists visiting the Mekong River Delta and its products lacked any special appeal, being similar to those of other localities in the region. The occasional group of foreign guests would go to the commune for a homestay experience, but tended to leave after a day or so as there was little of interest to make them stay longer. But since the launch of Mekong Rustic Tien Giang, the number of visitors coming to the Mekong River has increased significantly, and Mekong Rustic and its second establishment in Phong Dien, Can Tho, are gaining popularity among foreign visitors to the Mekong thanks to their model of sustainable values that aims to support and protect the environment and society. Nguyen Ngoc Bich, CEO of Mekong Rustic, says he always aims to develop sustainable tourism by working with local people to introduce visitors to the … [Read more...] about Benefit-sharing for sustainable tourism development
Majors for non profit organizations
ILA: “We see a brighter and more modern future of education.”
(VEN) - Established in 2000 as the first language school with 100% native level English teachers in Vietnam, ILA has trained over 300,000 students, with more than 40 language centers and 6 overseas education consultancies nationwide. What has brought such success and reputation to ILA throughout that 20 year journey? An exceptional woman, with a motto: “Do your best and respect the core values of education”. Interviewer: These days, learning English has become more popular and easier thanks to the Internet. Also, more and more language schools are opening each day. How does ILA retain its unique values in such conditions? If it is just to learn English, students have a wide range of resources to access other than ILA. However, the differences that ILA offers lie in: 1. A pioneering vision of modern education: It is not what we teach students but how we teach them that makes a difference. We have been continuously developing innovations in our teaching methodologies by … [Read more...] about ILA: “We see a brighter and more modern future of education.”
Babies for sale: poverty in Vietnam, desperation in China – VnExpress International
Back to English Comments News - March 5, 2019 | 10:13 am GMT+7 An insidious cocktail of abject poverty in Vietnam and desperation for progeny in China turns babies into commodities. Over the past three years, Ky Son District in the central province of Nghe An, one of the most underprivileged mountainous districts in Vietnam, has seen a boom in the business of selling newborns, mainly in Huu Kiem Commune.An initial estimate by local authorities is that 22 pregnant women, mainly belonging to the Kho Mu ethnic minority residents of the commune, have gone to China in order to sell their newborn babies to strangers for VND40 million to VND80 million ($1,720 to $3,450).Unforgettable memoriesSitting in a three-story stilt house, Moong Thi Tho, 26, recalled a journey she went on more than a year ago, returning home with VND40 million, the largest sum of money she’d ever had in her life.In 2017, Tho was pregnant with her third child. When she came to a local clinic for a prenatal … [Read more...] about Babies for sale: poverty in Vietnam, desperation in China – VnExpress International
Who do Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises turn to for funds?
According to a 2018 report by the World Bank, Vietnam's credit access index ranks 29th out of 190 economies surveyed, higher than the average of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and East Asia & Pacific. But Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) said it is a big challenge for them to access credit. According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), only 30 percent of SMEs in Vietnam have access to loans from the formal sector, with the rest having to use their own funds or depend on unregulated loans. This makes it hard for them to find business opportunities and solve other problems with respect to cash flow, working capital, and debts. The VCCI has drawn up a list of loans types and the challenges each segment faces. Bank loans Many banks have made it possible for SMEs to get access to credit. In the past few years most joint stock banks have earmarked tens of trillions of dong ($1=VND23,381) for priority sectors. … [Read more...] about Who do Vietnam’s small and medium-sized enterprises turn to for funds?
Organic farmers unable to make a clean break
Viet Nam News The morning glory plants stood unharvested. Considering how popular a green vegetable this is across the length and breadth of Viet Nam, it was strange that farmer Nguyễn Mạnh Hồng could not be bothered to cut and sell them. But Hồng is a disheartened man these days. It has been a year since he started growing clean vegetables in his 2,600 square-metre net house in Ha Noi’s Yên Mỹ Commune, Thanh Trì District. When Hồng decided to invest more than VNĐ3 billion (US$130,000) in the net house along with other equipment, he hoped that the increase in demand for safe, organic products would deliver handsome returns. But he has been brought down to earth by a combination of factors that defy simplistic analysis. While there is demand for organic vegetables from increasingly health conscious customers, as also increasing recognition of the environmental benefits of organic farming, farmers in Viet Nam struggle to … [Read more...] about Organic farmers unable to make a clean break