HÀ NỘI — A project in a northern province has brought increased income, diversified livelihoods, improved food security and reduced disaster risks for ethnic minorities, especially women and children.

The 'Building strong and resilient communities in rural Cao Bằng' project was run in Trà Lĩnh District, the northern mountainous province of Cao Bằng from July 2014 to June this year.

The results of the project, funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme and donations from the New Zealand public through ChildFund New Zealand, were announced on Thursday in Hà Nội.

Total funding for the project exceeded VNĐ32 billion (US$1.4 million).

The project targeted H’Mông, Tày, Nùng and Dao ethnic groups in the district’s six poorest communes.

After five years of implementation, 60 per cent of households reporting increased income compared with 2014, while 83 per cent of households have cattle this year, an increase of 20 per cent compared with 2014.

The rate of malnourished children, including stunting, in preschool reduced to five per cent compared to the average rate of 30.3 per cent for northern provinces by this year.

Disaster risk reduction training was given to 100 people.

Wendy Matthews, New Zealand Ambassador to Việt Nam, said, “I’m proud of the impact of this project in terms of building strong local communities.

“Our investment in Cao Bằng is an example of New Zealand’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities across Việt Nam to strengthen their ability to decide their own future and to live to their full potential,” she said.

Nguyễn Trung Thảo, deputy director of the Cao Bằng People’s Committee, said the project had brought positive impacts and changes to the lives of thousands of children and their families.

Its key interventions were irrigation systems, income generation models of cow and goat raising, passion fruit farming, maize post-harvest storage, saving and credit schemes for ethnic minority women and youths. — VNS