IMPROVEMENT OF DIGITAL CAPACITY FOR TYM’S MEMBERS
The program “Improvement of digital capacity for TYM’s members” is joinly implemented by Tinh Thuong One-member Limited Liability Microfinance Institution (TYM) and the Asia Foundation. The program is aimed at expanding economic opportunities and leveraging the digital economy by equipping underserved communities, especially women and home-based enterprises in rural and remote areas, with critical ICT skills. This is under the regional project entitled “Go Digital ASEAN” funded by Google.org which supports 10 Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam.
The program is implemented under the rapid evolution in digital economy. The digital take a significant role in the growth of industries, large businesses and corporations. However, small-sized and household-based micro enterprises, face a lot of barriers to full participation in digital economy, particularly women-led entrepreneurs and marginalized population (e.g. the low income, the unemployed). Among others, those barriers include: lack of knowledge, inadequate ability and skills in using ICT and online marketing tools in doing business activities, inadequate protections to ensure data security, and lack of accessible, affordable and reliable ICT infrastructure. As such, equipping small & micro businesses and marginalized population with relevant digital knowledge and skills is increasingly recognized as one of the key methods of better managing and expanding their businesses in order to succeed in the digital economy.
The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a dynamic and developing Asia. Working through offices in 18 countries and six decades of experience, the Asia Foundation addresses the critical issues affecting Asia in the 21st century by: strengthening governance, expanding economic opportunity, increasing environmental resilience, empowering women, and promoting international cooperation. In Vietnam, the Asia Foundation started operating since 1993 and open an official representative office in 2000.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
The overall goal of the Go Digital ASEAN Project is to expand economic opportunities within ASEAN member countries and mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 crisis by equipping critical ICT skills for small businesses, microenterprises and unemployed youths.
The Vietnam project will contribute to this overall goal through the achievement of two overarching objectives:
Objective 1: Improve the ability of the marginalized population and home-based micro enterprises to grow by utilizing ICT tools and online markets in doing livelihoods and business activities.
Objective 2: Improve capacity of unemployed youths in difficult localities to leverage the digital economy.
TARGET BENEFICIARIES
The program’s main target beneficiaries include women-led small-sized and household-based enterprises and unemployed youths in rural and remote areas. Approximately 64,900 marginalized people (80% are female who are TYM’s customers and the remaining 20% are their husbands and sons who participate in the household’s economic activities/businesses) will participate in and benefit training activities of the program.
In addition, the program also targets over 400 TYM’s local staff who are providing microfinance and non-financial services for these above-mentioned marginalized populations.