Program background

Quan Hoa ADP is located in Quan Hoa District, a mountainous remote district, bordering Laos, 300 km from Hanoi. Quan Hoa District is divided into 17 communes and one town, with 110 villages and 42,905 people. Its total area is 102,000 ha. Approximately 98% of Quan Hoa’s population makes a living from agricultural activities and forestry. More than 60% of households are classified as very poor with the average income about USD 12.8 per person/month. Harsh weather conditions (drought is common from October-April) make it difficult for households to consistently produce healthy crops. As a result, many families are food insecure for up to three months per year.

Program description

Quan Hoa ADP is an integrated, long-term program working closely with local partners to directly support more than 23,500 people combat the effects of poverty and improve their standard of living. Interventions focusing on agriculture, income generation, education, health-care, childcare and protection, economic assistance and capacity building are tailored specifically to the communities needs.  This holistic approach encourages community participation and ownership, builds a firm foundation for the program’s sustainability and addresses the root causes of poverty.

Program development

Health

• Health care workers receive important medical training on HIV/AIDS awareness and treatment, nutrition awareness, proper hygiene and sanitation practices, treatment of fever and other preventable diseases.
• Essential equipment is provided to commune health stations (CHS), increasing their capacity to deal with the varied health issues prevalent in the area.
• Construction and renovation of commune health stations, and the provision of clean drinking water systems and latrines have improved the quality of services available to community members.

Agriculture

• The Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) method has been adopted and hybrid seed varieties are provided to farmers, enabling them to diversify their crops and improve food security.
• Reforestation activities continue to improve soil quality, positively impacting on farmers’ crop yields.
• Hamlet facilitators receive training to improve their program management skills. Hamlet Facilitators are local farmers who act as a ‘bridge’ between the ADP and the local community. They have three main responsibilities: to make sure local people contribute to the program planning process; train local people in agriculture techniques, implement and monitor program activities.

Education

• Teachers receive training on new teaching and learning methodologies, helping to improve the quality of teaching being taught at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools. Children have the opportunity to learn and develop in an interactive way.
• Construction of kindergarten classrooms, playgrounds, and school latrines, and the provision of school supplies for kindergartens and primary schools are improving learning conditions for students.
• Child rights awareness activities are being carried out at the community level, promoting the importance of child safety and protection.

Economic assistance

• Women are provided with loans to start their own small businesses. They receive training on business development planning and management, saving, asset creation and marketing. Close collaboration with the women’s union allows women to use their loans in an effective and sustainable manner.

Capacity building

• The program management board (PMB) members from the district, commune and hamlet level receive training on program management skills, sponsor relationship and leadership.

Other

• Community members are supported to improve infrastructure in the area. Construction of bridges and improving road conditions enables more children to attend school during the rainy season. These interventions assist community members to access health stations, and helps farmers access markets to sell produce.