On May 17, 2022, the Central Vietnam Women’s Union organized a field trip to Thanh Hoa province for international partners. During this trip, the delegation visited a model of cooperatives processing bamboo and rattan products and export supermarket bags of TYM member Pham Thi Ngan in Hoang Hoa district.
Attending the field trip were about 50 delegates, including representatives from embassies, diplomatic missions, United Nations’ organizations and the Delegation of the European Union, leaders of the Vietnam Women’s Union, representatives of several agencies, ministries, branches and leaders at the party committee, local government in Thanh Hoa province.
The field trip aimed to help international partners understand more about the Vietnam Women’s Union’s activities to support the development of women, especially in the economic field.
Visiting the Trung Kien cooperative of TYM member Pham Thi Ngan, the delegation visited the bamboo and rattan processing facility and export supermarket bags as well as learned about the product processing process. On this occasion, Ms. Ngan shared with the delegation about her and her family’s wishes when implementing this model.
In 2008, Ms. Ngan and her husband established Trung Kien Cooperative, which produced environmentally friendly bamboo and rattan products. Right from the inception of the cooperative establishment and until now, she and her husband have always oriented the development of the cooperative towards the goal of supporting employment and increasing income for poor women, disadvantaged people, people with disabilities in the locality. Ms. Ngan also wished Trung Kien Cooperative’s activities towards environmental friendliness, reducing plastic waste, contributing to preserving a green, clean and beautiful environment.
Precisely from those specific goals and orientations, the couple always strives to explore, learn and improve further for the cooperative to expand and develop. From a small-scale cooperative with initial capital mainly borrowed from banks, so far her family has rented more land and built a factory with an area of nearly 2,000 m2. In 2015, the cooperative was licensed and searched for more export supermarket bags, bringing more jobs and income for people.
In 2017, when TYM started to operate in the village, Ms. Ngan registered to join TYM and borrowed the highest loan amount at that time of 30 million VND to support some expenses such as salary payment, to order raw materials. Up to now, nearly 5 years of joining TYM, she always repaid fully, on time, and borrowed new loans at TYM when the old capital cycle was over. Currently, she is borrowing from TYM at 50 million VND, in the near future she plans to apply for a loan of 100 million VND to order more materials to reserve.
“Since joining TYM until now, I realize that in addition to having the opportunity to avail loans, deposit savings for investment and economic development, members also benefit from very suitable policies. In accordance with the quick procedure, the principal and interest are divided into installments, paying off the entire cycle of capital and paying off the debt. In addition, women members are also allowed to participate in many other useful community support activities and programs of TYM ,” Ms. Ngan shared.
The cooperative’s activities currently have two main areas: sewing, processing, exporting supermarket bags and handicraft products for export. The cooperative’s product processing process uses rattan and bamboo in the region, so it does not pollute the environment. On an area of nearly 2,000 m2, Ms. Ngan’s family facilities create jobs and regular income for nearly 120 people, including 30 workers working in the factory and nearly 100 households living around the area. Most of the women joining TYM are VWU members, the elderly, people with disabilities in the locality and neighboring communes. Over the years, this cooperative has helped women and families increase their incomes. For factory workers, the average income is from VND 5 to 7 million / month; from VND 2 to 3 million / month if the households take the goods to make at home.
Through the visit, TYM hopes that international partners will have a deeper understanding of TYM’s operations, women’s wishes to do business, and then join hands with TYM in supporting women’s economic development. TYM believes that when receiving appropriate technical support and loans, women will better promote their roles, contributing to the general development of the community.