The Story Behind the Cassava Fields of Quang Tri: From Vulnerability to a More Resilient Future
Just before the sun rises above the mountains of Huong Lap in Quang Tri province, Ho Thi Ha is already awake. She cooks rice for her three young children, takes them to school, and then walks to her field in the hills.
Her 0.7-hectare cassava field is the main source of income for her family. In a good year, the harvest brings in about €340 – money that is needed for food, school supplies and clothing.
A Growing Number of Challenges
But the weather is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Sometimes it rains for months, causing cassava roots to rot and the harvest to fail. For families like Ha’s, this means great uncertainty.
Many families in the mountainous areas of Quang Tri depend on small-scale farming. Climate change, poor soil and fluctuating market prices make it difficult to earn a stable income.
Women in particular carry a heavy responsibility: they work the land, take care of the household and raise their children. Many families are barely able to make ends meet. Malnutrition is a serious concern: more than 20 percent of young children in these communities are undernourished.
Food Security Comes First
That is why MCNV has developed a new programme for this year and the next two years. Through this programme, we support women in improving their farming and livestock practices and in developing new sources of income, for example by collecting and selling sustainable forest products.
At the same time, we work to improve the nutrition of women and children. Through small village shops run by the women themselves, families gain access to healthy food. Pregnant women and young mothers receive nutrition education and support where needed.
Over the coming years, we aim to support at least 300 vulnerable women and families. In total, around 1,000 family members will benefit from improved nutrition, greater food security and a healthier future.
Thank you very much for your indispensible support to families in Quang Tri.
Kind regards,
Nguyen Thanh Tung and the team in Dong Ha
![[Inclusion project] The Companions](https://mcnv.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Thumbnail-pic-958x668.png "[Inclusion project] The Companions")
[Inclusion project] The Companions
Discover how the Inclusion 1 project is improving lives and rewriting the narrative for persons with disabilities from ethnic minorities.
Clean Water: Essential for Healthy Villages in Laos
In the second quarter of 2025, MCNV focused on sharing knowledge to improve daily life in the districts of Phin and Sepone in Laos. Together with local communities, we work toward a future in which children grow up safely, mothers receive proper care, and clean water and toilets are part of everyday life.
Yet many families in remote villages still lack clean drinking water and sanitation. Children still become ill from preventable diseases. That is why we ask for your support—so more families can gain access to clean water, better hygiene, and a healthier life.
Promising Start in Phin
Although our program in Phin only began this year, local involvement is strong. Women actively seek guidance and show commitment. Early results are encouraging: child malnutrition has already decreased, partly thanks to home gardens.
Still a Long Way to Go
Out of 3,059 families in 20 villages, only 153 have a toilet. Not everyone sees the importance of sanitation yet, making education essential. Through training sessions and knowledge exchange with Sepone—where MCNV has supported communities for several years—people learn what is possible and what works.
We also use existing initiatives such as government vaccination days to measure children’s growth and offer health education to mothers.
Our Local Strength
With experienced members of MCNV Laos team – Fine, Done and program manager Sivone – we reach even the most remote villages. Phin’s better accessibility creates opportunities for faster progress—but extra support is crucial to make this happen.
Help Us Take the Next Step
Your donation helps us to:
- Build more toilets
- Install more water systems
- Create educational materials on hygiene and clean water
Thank you for supporting healthier futures in Laos.
Sivone, Fine & Done
Restoring hopes in disaster-stricken communities
On December 16, 2025, MCNV, in collaboration with the Phu Mo People’s Committee, provided emergency relief totaling 195 million VND to 130 households in Phu Tam and Phu Dong villages (Phu Mo Commune, Phu Yen Province). This support is designed to empower local residents to procure seedlings, livestock, agricultural supplies, and essential commodities, enabling them to stabilize their lives and resume production following the disaster.
Handover of in-cash support to affected people.
The 130 recipients include poor and near-poor households, as well as those in exceptionally difficult circumstances. These two villages are among 15 areas covered by the “Boosting Income and Jobs for Poor Ethnic Women in Dong Xuan District” project (BIJPO). The region was severely impacted by historic flooding and Typhoon No. 13 in late November 2025.
Rice paddies buried under debris, acacia plantations leveled.
The disaster left a devastating trail of loss across the project areas, including Phu Mo, Xuan Lanh, Xuan Phuoc, and Dong Xuan communes. Beyond the tragic loss of five lives, the calamity caused extensive damage to property and livelihoods. In Phu Dong village, approximately 50% of homes suffered roof damage or structural destruction. Phu Tam village, particularly the areas along the Ky Lo River, was hit hard by widespread flooding and landslides. Across both villages, acacia plantations were leveled, rice paddies were buried under debris, and livestock perished in large numbers.
Homes suffered roof damages.
These 130 households are part of the 1,110 beneficiaries of the BIJPO project (2022–2025). Through this relief effort, MCNV hopes to provide the necessary momentum for these families to overcome their current hardships, restore their livelihoods, and rebuild their lives in the wake of the disaster./.
Signing of Memorandum of Understanding on Implementing the Project ‘Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods to Improve Food Security for Poor Ethnic Minority Women in Quang Tri Province’
(December 12, 2025) – Mr. Pham Dung, Head of the Representative Office of the Medisch Comité Nederland – Vietnam (MCNV) organization, and Mr. Thai Huu Lieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Quang Tri province, chaired the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the implementation of the project “Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods to Improve Food Security for Poor Ethnic Minority Women in Quang Tri Province.”
Representatives of MCNV and Quang Tri provincial Department of Foreign Affairs at the signing ceremony.
The project has an estimated budget of 600,000 EUR and a duration of 36 months. It will focus on improving income and job opportunities for poor ethnic minority women in the two communes of Huong Lap and Huong Phung, thereby contributing to the reduction of food insecurity among poor women and ethnic minority children in the two project communes.
The main activities of the project include:
- Enhancing knowledge and skills for women in developing agricultural and non-agricultural production models.
- Promoting sustainable livelihoods based on non-timber forest products.
- Improving access to high-nutrition and safe food sources.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr. Pham Dung, MCNV Chief of Representative Office in Vietnam, affirmed that Quang Tri is one of the localities with the longest and most enduring cooperation relationship with MCNV in Vietnam. He also shared MCNV’s priority directions for the coming period. Accordingly, MCNV will focus on supporting the development of effective livelihood models for women in ethnic minority regions, aligned with the requirements for sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and promoting the community’s role in managing indigenous resources.
Deputy Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Quang Tri province, Mr.Thai Huu Lieu, showed appreciation to MCNV for the organization’s unwavering support to Quang Tri province. He expressed confidence that the project activities will help improve food security and contribute to enhancing the quality of life for ethnic minority communities, especially poor women in the mountainous areas of Quang Tri province.
Following the signing ceremony, MCNV will continue to coordinate with in-charge divisions of the Department of Foreign Affairs and relevant provincial agencies to finalize the Project Document for official approval from the competent authorities as regulated, and simultaneously prepare for implementation immediately after the Project is approved./.
MCNV Supports Quy Nhon Traditional Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital in Disaster Relief
November 22, 2025 – MCNV provided disaster relief supplies, valued at over 20 million VND, to the Quy Nhon Traditional Medicine & Rehabilitation Hospital.
During November 19-20, 2025, a historic flooding event in Gia Lai Province caused severe inundation across many areas, heavily impacting the Quy Nhon Traditional Medicine & Rehabilitation (TMR) Hospital.
Floodwater at the hospital rose high, surpassing the 2019 historical flood peak by more than 1 meter. This situation isolated staff, patients, and created significant difficulties for the facility.
To provide prompt assistance and help the hospital overcome the disaster, on November 22, 2025, MCNV donated relief supplies, including 45 cases of milk (a total of 540 four-packs) and 400 servings of bread, totaling over 20 million VND in value. This support aims to provide sustenance and share the burden with the patients and medical staff isolated by the floodwaters.
MCNV hope that the Quy Nhon TMR Hospital will speedily complete its disaster recovery efforts and quickly stabilize examination and treatment operations to meet the healthcare needs of the local community./.
