Like many of her friends, Lu walks 6-7km a day to sell souvenirs to support her family, as they cannot afford to make ends meet with the sole earnings from farming.
"My parents say that I have to go sell souvenirs to earn money to buy food," said Lu.
As published in Thanh Nien News online, 10 June 2011
Vietnam passes resolution creating targeted poverty reduction program
It seemed like an odd request when a province in the world's second largest rice producer petitioned the central government for rice subsidies to tackle hunger.
On May 5, the Thanh Hoa Province People's Committee asked the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs for 2,048 tons of rice to support more than 70,000 hungry households.
In January, Thanh Hoa distributed 4,300 tons of rice subsidies to more than 280,000 local residents who said they were facing hunger, despite the fact that the province is home to the largest delta in the central region.
Thanh Hoa is not the only place in Vietnam where residents continue to go hungry due to persistent poverty.
As published in the Thanh Nien News, 2 June 2011
Vietnam should continue to invest in social assistance mechanisms to tackle poverty, especially among the ethnic poor, according a United Nations independent expert on human rights and extreme poverty.
"Investing in social protection is not only crucial to lift individuals out of poverty, but also helps to protect all of those that could be affected by future economic crises or natural disasters," Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona said.
As published in Viet Nam News, 3 June 2011
HA NOI — A database on Vietnamese migrants will serve as a foundation to the Government in building a sustainable policy for migration management, according to a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Consular Department in Ha Noi yesterday.
Head of the department, Duong Chi Dung, said that the database, the first in Asia, revealed Government efforts in promoting safe and legal overseas migration whilst fighting illegal migration activities.
The relationship between migration and development was the focus at a conference attended by Vietnamese and international officials and researchers on migration held yesterday. The conference was aimed at developing better solutions for managing the cash flow and knowledge transfer of immigrants.
As published in Time Magazine, 30 May 2011
It is easy to miss the spirit gate that guards the entrance to Phiyer, a remote village in northern Laos. Half submerged in weeds beside a field of towering sugarcane, the simple wooden structure resembles a set of miniature rustic goalposts. Look closely, however, and you will notice it is strung with roughly carved swords and assault rifles made of bamboo. The villagers believe the gate wards off disease and evil spirits.
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