Improving livelihoods and nutrition of ethnic minorities

Japanese sponsors and SCI Organization visited vegetable gardens of households participating in the project.
Photo: Pham Bang (Contributor)

Ms. Doan Thanh Phuc, Deputy Director of the Son La Provincial Center for Disease Control, Deputy Project Management Board in Son La province, informed: The project will be implemented from July 2023 to March 2026 in 6 communes: Lang Cheu, Xim Vang, Chim Van of Bac Yen district; Muong Va, Sam Kha, Pung Banh communes, Sop Cop district. These are communes mainly inhabited by Mong, Thai, Kho Mu ethnic groups, with difficult economic conditions; the rate of malnutrition in children under 5 years old is still high. The project's goal is to improve the livelihoods of ethnic minorities through agricultural production; focusing on gender equality, food security, and improving maternal and child nutrition.

The project consists of two components: Agriculture and nutrition. In the agriculture component, 67 training courses on vegetable growing techniques, animal husbandry, business negotiation skills, livelihood activities and nutrition-enhancing agricultural production models were organized, attracting more than 1,200 participants; 343 visits were made to guide households in production practices; 1,716 monitoring sessions, 25 visits to demonstration models and 1 field workshop was organized in Sop Cop district.

Instructions for cooking nutritious porridge for children in Lieng village, Pung Banh commune, Sop Cop district.
Photo: Pham Bang (Contributor)

Participating in the Project, Ms. Song Thi Mai's family in Xim Vang village, Xim Vang commune, Bac Yen district received support from the project with breeding chickens, breeding ducks, food and vaccines to prevent poultry diseases. Ms. Mai excitedly said: Being supported with breeding chickens; agricultural extension officers guided us in building cages. Now, my family has proactively raised breeding chickens to restore the flock, maintaining a flock of more than 100 ducks. This is a source of food, helping me take care of my children so that they are healthy and physically developed.

Regarding the nutrition component, the Project organized 11 training courses to provide knowledge on maternal and child nutrition care for 300 village health workers and village women in 60 villages implementing the project; provided communication materials and necessary tools for counseling and guidance on nutrition practices in the community; conducted 246 prenatal examinations at commune health stations and households; organized weighing and measuring for children under 2 years old with over 10,800 children; established and operated 35 nutrition rehabilitationeducation centers in 47 villages, with nearly 3,400 malnourished children participating...

Women in Xim Vang village, Xim Vang commune, Bac Yen district received support for ducklings from the project.

Doctor Hoang Van Hien, Head of the Xim Vang Commune Health Station, Bac Yen District, said: To implement the project, we coordinated with the village chief, medical staff and women in the village to propagate and mobilize pregnant women to have regular prenatal check-ups; instruct households on how to cook powdered rice and porridge to ensure adequate nutrition for children; and how to identify and use a variety of locally available foods in children's daily meals.

After 2 years of implementation, the project has changed people's awareness of improving livelihoods and nutrition; changing health care behaviors. In the coming time, the Project Management Board will continue to build production groups, call for sponsors, support seeds, materials, fertilizers, technical training... focusing on expanding the target group to mothers with children under 24 months old, improving the lives of ethnic minorities.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/cai-thien-sinh-ke-dinh-duong-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-Wz1EqoPNg.html