Start date: October 2002
Expected end date: September 2017
Support office: World Vision Switzerland
Location: Lang Chanh District, Thanh Hoa Province

 

Program background

Lang Chanh Area Development Program (ADP) is located in Lang Chanh District. This is a mountainous district, bordering Laos, 100 km from Thanh Hoa City (the capital city of Thanh Hoa Province), and 257 km from Hanoi. The district’s roads are in poor condition and transportation from village to village is limited by small trails, along steep mountains.

Lang Chanh is divided into 10 communes and one district town and has 98 villages. It occupies a land area of approximately 58,631.58 hectares. Its population is approximately 42,643, consisting of 8,322 households. Three ethnic groups live in the district, including Thai (53%), Muong (33%) and Kinh (14%). The high percentage of ethnic minorities in Lang Chanh is a significant reason driving WVV’s involvement in the district.
    
The average income is 15 kilograms of food per head per month. Lack of knowledge and skills make it difficult for many households to consistently produce healthy crops. Food shortages are reported three months of every year, causing high malnutrition rates among children under 5. Schools are under resourced, lacking essential equipment and resources like desks, chairs, and books. Health facilities are poor, with limited stock of medicines and essential supplies.
    
Program description

Lang Chanh ADP is an integrated, long-term program working closely with local partners to directly support more than 24,000 people combat the effects of poverty and improve their standard of living. Interventions focusing on agriculture, income generation, education, health-care, childcare and protection, micro-enterprise 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

• Hamlet facilitators receive nutrition training and share their knowledge with the rest of the community.
• A network of nutrition collaborators was established, providing peer education on child-care and nutrition to mothers of malnourished children.
• Commune health stations are upgraded, enabling staff to treat patients in a safe and hygienic environment.
• Commune health stations are supported through the provision of essential medical supplies.
• School-aged children receive health check-ups to monitor their growth and development.
• Construction of community water systems has increased access to safe drinking water for community members.
• HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns are targeting high-risk groups.

Agriculture

• Adopting the Sloping Agriculture Land Technology (SALT) model allows farmers to cultivate on sloping land, proving beneficial to their crop yields.
• Post-harvest and processing training is provided to farmers for wet rice farming.
• Construction of irrigation schemes (canals, dams, pumping stations) has improved farming conditions, and increased community access to clean drinking water.
• Training for farmers on livestock raising, crop diversification, and integrated pest management, has improved their capacity to earn an income.
• Hamlet facilitators receive vet training, improving the quality of vet care available at the hamlet level.
• VET drug cabinets have been established, supporting hamlet facilitators and other community members to carry out their work.
• There are plans to establish field schools where farmers would receive training on participatory research and have the opportunity to share their experiences and lesson learnt.

Education

• Information education and communication (IEC) materials are developed for specific campaigns. These materials provide community members with valuable information on a range of issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention.
• Kindergarten, primary and secondary school teachers receive training on new teaching methods, increasing their professional skills and improving the quality of education taught at schools.
• Provision of teaching supplies assists primary school teachers to improve the quality of lessons they deliver.
• Essential learning equipment such as desks and chairs are supplied, improving learning conditions for students.
• Children in especially difficult circumstances (CEDC) receive scholarships to attend school, alleviating the financial burden from their families.
• Social activities for teachers and students are organized, enabling children to develop their co-ordination skills.

Micro-enterprise development

• Saving and credit management boards have been established at the commune level. Board members receive training on loan management and are encouraged to attend study tours to learn and share best practices.
• Women receive training on business development services, and are provided with small loans to start their own small businesses. They also receive training on handicraft production.

Capacity Building

• PMB members, local collaborators and hamlet facilitators receive training on effective program management, improving their capacity to implement ADP activities that respond to the community’s specific needs.
• Study tours for PMB members, local collaborators and hamlet facilitators allow these key groups to share experiences and best practices.