Mr Nghe said: “ From the day participating in to the project, my family life changed a lots, previously my family cultivated all year but still not had enough food and clothes, my childen had no learning condition. But now everything change, my family life is better, my childen can go to shool, house is more spacious. Thanks for the concern and help of OHK, SDC, VIRI help us out of poverty. Hopefully in the future there will be more examples of overcoming difficulties in the small poor Vang Mon hamlet, mountainous communes in Yen Hoa.

The rattan nursery group

Address: Vang Mon hamlet, Yen Hoa commune, Tuong Duong district, Nghe An province

Funding organization: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK)

Implementing organization: Vietnam Rural Industries Research and Development Institute (VIRI)

Duration: 2013 – 2015

Promoting sustainable production of raw materials, building the capacity and gradually improve the incomes of the people involved to poverty reduction are important goals o the project: “UP-SCALING OF PRO-POOR RATTAN/BAMBOO VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT FOR WOMEN AND ETHNIC MINORITIES IN NGHE AN PROVINCE” was sponsored by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Oxfam Hong Kong (OHK) in Vietnam, VIRI is one of partners implemting the components of project. The project has changed the perception of the participants, sustainable development gradually in the poverty reduction.

During the implement time, we realized firsthand the change of the people here every day. Many households from poverty has risen out of poverty, more affluent. And one of the typical examples are households of Mr Chu Van Nghe

Mr Chu Van Nghe, now he is nearly 60 years old, live in Vang Mon hamlet, Yen Hoa commune, Tuong Duong distric, Nghe An province. eviously, his family is one of poor households, malnutrition 7-8 months / year.

He has participated in the rattan interest group from 06/05/2011 when they were nearly 60 years old, were one of the poor household in the hamlet. After meeting to establish group, they changed the perception, participated voluntarily and grasped the potention of rattan, he more and more determined trying to finish well in the early stages of development chain: “Nursery seeds into rattan tree”

While participating in the project, he were training and making the stages: from processing rattan seeds, sowing, making pot and pergolas, puting the seedling into pot, tending the rattan and export seedlings for the households who have the demand of planting the rattan. In all stages, the project staff trained for him enthusiastically by the “learning by doing” method, in addition to the enthusiasm and hard learning of himself so the rattan nursery developed very well. Besides technical support, the project also supports rattan seeds and tools, materials. He shared, “Making the rattan nursety need to work hard, follow the guidance of project if want to do right and rattan develope well “. After 17 months making the rattan nurseries, as well as farmers engaged in rattan nursery model in the hamlet, everyone was very happy that good results had been achieved, thanks to this rattan nursery, their income increased markedly. He can buy television and motorbike. Besides that he made the sapele nusery bringing the annual income of 6-7milions/year from selling sapele seedlings . Not only that, in 2013, Mr Nghe boldly asked project staffs of Rattan project – OHK help him buying the water rattan seeds for nusery, in 2014 the income from selling water rattan was more than 10 milions and in the 2015 spring crop, the People’s Commitee of Tuong Duong district ordered all the water rattan seedlings to provide for the households who planting rattan of Yen Huong hamlet – Yen Hoa commune. The income from selling rattan seedlings in 2015 was nearly 70 milions vnd.

Not only well in rattan nursery and the other seedlings, Mr Nghe still planted nearly 01 ha of water rattan, in 2013 he asked the project staff trained him how to exploy 3000m2 of rattan area which he planted in 2007 and approaching the consumption markets.

Not stopping there, capture the production needs of traditional handicraft group, he came to Yen Huong hamlet, Yen Hoa commune; Huoi Cut hamlet, Yen Na commune and some other hamlets which had the demand of buying rattan yarn. He sold the fresh rattan yarn with the price of 10,000/kg, resolved the difficulties of the handicraft group which have no money to buy materials, he exchanged 10kg of rattan yarn to 5 rattan chairs , then he provided weekly the rattan yarn while resolving the out put for groups. This flexible way not only met the demand for raw materials, output resolution for handicraft groups but also create significant additional income from the sale of rattan furniture for his family.

Witnessing change every day of his family, many people in the area had to learn experience from his family. And since then, many people wanted to participate in the project. Up to 2014, there are 40 rattan interest groups in Tuong Duong district, in 2015 having 76 households registed to paticipate in plating rattan with the area of 20.4ha. The monthly group meetings was the time he shared his experience with the team members, exchange and guide to all households in the group about the technical; reminded, shared with households which had not done well. As the leader of rattan nursery group, he always finishing well the responsibility and get the trust from membership. Mr Nghe said: “ From the day participating in to the project, my family life changed a lots, previously my family cultivated all year but still not had enough food and clothes, my childen had no learning condition. But now everything change, my family life is better, my childen can go to shool, house is more spacious. Thanks for the concern and help of OHK, SDC, VIRI help us out of poverty. Hopefully in the future there will be more examples of overcoming difficulties in the small poor Vang Mon hamlet, mountainous communes in Yen Hoa.