HÀ NỘI – Some 350 young people from Quỳ Châu and Quế Phong in the central province of Nghệ An benefited from a project on employment for ethnic minority youths in the province.

The project results were announced on Friday during a conference held in Hà Nội by ActionAid Việt Nam (AVV) and the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA).

The project received financial support of more than VNĐ517 million (US$23,000) from the AVV.

The first period for the project was conducted in 2013-14 in Quế Phong District, whereas the second period was held in 2015-16 in Quỳ Châu District.

The project aimed at supporting ethnic minority youth in the two districts and run effective employment models to replace the old, ineffective ones that were followed in the localities.

As part of the project, youths attend training courses on planting mushrooms, lime and some other agricultural products.

Those youths participating in the project now have incomes of about VNĐ30 million ($1,300) per year.

Đinh Quế Hải, deputy chairman of the CEMA, said the CEMA strived to promote socio-economic development for ethnic minorities by providing the Government’s guidance.

“Ethnic minorities’ rights are one of the priorities of the CEMA in the near future, and economic rights are the first priority,” he said.

Setting up businesses for ethnic minority youths contributed an important part in assuring sustainable reductions in poverty, noted Hải.

Hoàng Phương Thảo, AAV head representative, said that ethnic minorities, especially the youths, were one of the priorities of AAV.

“We believe that co-operation between AAV and the CEMA will create better conditions to conduct the National Target Programme from 2016-20 targeting sustainable poverty reduction and setting up new-style rural lives,” she said.

Quế Phong is one of the poorest districts of western Nghệ An Province. The district has more than 5,000 youths, and most of them did not have sustainable work. The district is home to more than 13,500 households with 64,500 people. Most of the residents are Thái, Khmu, Thổ, Tày and Chứt ethnic minorities. More than 40 per cent of the households are poor.

Quỳ Châu is the neighbouring district of Quế Phong District, with more than 10,000 households, and 20 per cent of them living in poverty. Average income for these households is about VNĐ6-7 million ($266,600-311,100) per year. — VNS