Context
Although Vietnam and Cambodia are developing rapidly, millions of people still live in poverty. In Vietnam, an estimated 5 million people live on less than $1 a day. In Cambodia, nearly a million people live in the most difficult conditions. Remote rural areas are particularly affected by these conditions.
Several factors contribute to this acute poverty. The lack of adequate prevention and care pushes people into debt and disability. The lack of access to bank credit is another. Finally, the cost of education can be very high; for the poorest families, children can cost their families almost 30% of the total family budget. As a result, many inevitably fail to complete their education and end up in dangerous, poorly paid jobs. This situation is particularly dangerous for girls, who become easy targets for domestic violence.
Goal
The aim of this project is to lift people out of poverty through educational, micro-credit, health and environmental initiatives in remote villages in Vietnam (in Bình Thuân, Ninh Thuận and Hâu Giang provinces) and Cambodia (in Rumduol district, Svay Rieng province).
Activities
Using a multi-disciplinary and participatory approach, project activities may include:
- Providing training, capital and technical support for individuals to cultivate, raise livestock or open small businesses;
- Providing scholarships for local children;
- Provide village-based preventive health training;
- Helping communities to organise and develop activities for the environment and the healthy development of their village.
Impacts to be reached
- Provide training and microcredit to +1,000 new households a year and help increase their income by 15-20% a year;
- Offer scholarships to 3,500 children each year, with 100% of them continuing their education;
- Provide preventive health training for at least 1,000 women a year.
Myriad Canada is working with Mekong Plus on this project, a non-profit organisation founded in 1994 whose mission is to help the poorest families in rural villages in Vietnam and Cambodia lift themselves out of poverty, through local NGOs and community empowerment. It has grown to cover a thousand villages, directly reaching nearly 200,000 villagers each year. Every year, Mekong Plus awards more than 3,500 school bursaries to the poorest 2-3% of children, and already 8,000 households have been lifted out of poverty thanks to the organisation’s programs.
Myriad Canada’s role is to carry out charitable activities across the globe in accordance with its charitable purposes. We control and monitor the use of funds and the progress of charitable activities to ensure that donations made to Myriad Canada have the greatest impact in accordance with donors’ expressed wishes. As a member of the Myriad Alliance with offices in Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and Australia, Myriad Canada has a vast international network and extensive practical expertise.
How to support this project?
By credit card: At the top right of this page, indicate the amount you wish to donate, and make the donation online by credit card. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes by e-mail just a few minutes after making the donation. It is simple and fast!
By cheque:
- Make your cheque out to Myriad Canada.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: We receive a lot of cheques! You must please indicate “ Project B516 – Social Improvements Vietnam and Cambodia” in the memo line of your cheque to ensure that it is allocated correctly.
- Mail your cheque to: Myriad Canada, 1 Place Ville Marie, Suite 1670, Montreal, QC, H3B 2B6, Canada.
By Direct Deposit:
- For transfer instructions, please email or call Caroline Chaulet: caroline@myriadcanada.org or +1 514-481-2000.
For Donation of Securities:
- Please email or call Caroline Chaulet: caroline@myriadcanada.org or +1-438-300-8122.
All donations are eligible for a tax receipt in Canada.
The projects are managed with the greatest care and professionalism.