Support for families in Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam, during pandemic times

Life for poor communities in Quang Ngai, Vietnam is marked by hard work, limited resources, and a growing effort to break the cycle of poverty through local support and government programs.

In rural districts like Minh Long and Tra Bong, many families rely on small-scale farming, raising livestock, or collecting forest products. These livelihoods are often unstable due to fragmented land, unpredictable weather, and low market prices. Poor households may live in basic homes with limited access to clean water, healthcare, or education. Children often walk long distances to school, and many drop out early to help support their families. Ethnic minorities in mountainous areas face additional barriers due to language, isolation, and lack of infrastructure.

Despite these challenges, Quang Ngai has made strides in poverty reduction. Programs from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) offer low-interest loans for farming, vocational training, and even labor export. In urban areas like Quang Ngai City, initiatives such as cow breeding and cooperative cooking groups help women and near-poor households earn stable incomes.

Still, poverty remains a persistent issue. As of late 2023, Quang Ngai City alone had over 2,300 poor and near-poor households. The province continues to assess poverty using multidimensional standards, aiming to tailor solutions to each community’s needs. For many families, progress is slow but hopeful—built on resilience, shared effort, and the belief that with the right support, a better future is possible.

The challenge of this aid:

2021 was an especially difficult year for many communities in these regions, as strict COVID-19 lockdowns disrupted daily life and deepened existing hardships. Our charity work was also affected, unlike previous projects. Our goodwill ambassador, Chi Lan, couldn’t freely choose her departure date due to pandemic restrictions.

Children from ethnic minority communities in the mountains had been waiting eagerly for support. However, during the outbreak, only trucks departing from Saigon were permitted to carry relief goods out of the city. Due to travel restrictions at the time, trucks carrying supplies from outside the province were unable to pass through Quảng Nam. As a result, our volunteers had to adjust the delivery route. Despite the challenges, she moved forward, driven by the hope and anticipation of the children.

The plan was for supply trucks to depart first, with volunteers following later. These trucks carried essential items such as rice, noodles, fish sauce, cooking oil, soy sauce, pastries, milk, and other staples. Deliveries were made designated drop-off points in Nam Trà My and A Xan/Tây Giang, where volunteers from Saigon helped to distribute the goods further into remote areas.

GGB distributed 50 hampers to families in need in this area.