Vietnam

Project country

Introduction

In Vietnam, which until 2015 was one of Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation’s priority partner countries, a gradual change has started in the type of projects supported. Thus, new partnership opportunities have been explored that go beyond conventional development cooperation, particularly in the areas of innovation, research and the financial sector. In the areas of finance and banking training, Luxembourg’s Development Cooperation has thus continued its support for training and capacity-building projects through LuxDev and the ATTF/House of Training.

In 2019, three Luxembourgish NGOs were active in Vietnam. These include the two Luxembourgish NGOs Aide au Vietnam and Christian Solidarity, which are running projects in the sectors of agricultural development and primary education for the 2016 to 2020 period. The NGO L’Amicale internationale d’aide à l’enfance, which has been active in Vietnam since 2014, has contributed to activities involving the adoption of Vietnamese children by couples in Luxembourg. This NGO also implements two development projects (a polyclinic and a social centre), supporting its adoption activities.

In addition, the BBI-Luxembourg Higher Educational Institute of Wiltz is running a project until 2020 for the needs of partner schools in Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cabo Verde and Nicaragua to contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction in those partner countries through a strengthening of human resources in the tourism sector. Bursaries are provided for students, and also Vietnamese teachers who participate in training each year at the BBI School for International Hospitality and Tourism Business in Wiltz.

Highlighted project

Bac Kan, Vocational training and education – Phase II

‘Access to a paid job is one of the goals of the project, which aims to promote employment and livelihood development in line with the economic opportunities and the local sociocultural context in the north of Vietnam. Ms Truong Thi Diem, who comes from a challenging family background, found herself responsible for supporting her brothers and sisters from a young age. Her family situation made it difficult for her to continue higher education after secondary school. Nevertheless, by limiting herself to working part-time only, she managed to enrol in the agro-forestry faculty of Bac Kan Vocational College. Thanks to her hard work, she was swiftly rewarded with an opportunity to work in a veterinary supplies shop as sales assistant and consultant. Not only did this chime with her wish to work in the field that she is most passionate about, but it also gave her the opportunity to apply what she had learnt at college. After completing her studies, she continued to work for several years to save enough money to manage her own business. Now she owns a veterinary supplies shop and a small pig farm. She is now able to support her family financially, while creating jobs for poor farmers in her community. ’

Priority areas of intervention

Quality education
Decent work and economic growth

Reference data

Population: 96,462,106
GNI (per resident): USD 2,540
Human Development Index (HDI): 118/189
Life expectancy: 75
Indicative Cooperation Programme: project country

Key achievements 2019

The development of young people’s skills in rural areas is still an absolute priority for the Vietnamese government in terms of development. Through the VIE/034 project, Luxembourg is supporting the Bac Kan vocational college so that it is better equipped to deliver vocational teaching and training that meet the needs of the regional labour market. In 2019, the college enrolled 427 students and ran 25 training courses, in which 189 people participated.

In the province of Cao Bang, in the north-east region of Vietnam, Luxembourg is helping the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to improve effective natural and financial resource management, placing the emphasis on safe agricultural products that are market-oriented and certified through the project. To date, a total of 26 km of tarmac roads have been constructed between the villages, which has a major impact for farmers taking their products to market. The organic agriculture association of Cao Bang has been set up and put in place with an action plan. Knowledge and information about organic agriculture and production are widely shared by farmers and agricultural workers.

These projects are accompanied by rapid progress in the implementation of two projects linked to climate change financed by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development (MECSD) which are now in the delivery phase, and the projects that will come after them are already being planned.

A clear change to the type of projects supported by Luxembourg in Vietnam may be observed, and this offers new partnership possibilities for the future.

Sector breakdown

2019