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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

Discover how the Inclusion 1 project is improving lives and rewriting the narrative for persons with disabilities from ethnic minorities. The Inclusion 1 Project is a component of the project “Improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange”. Donor: The United States Government.  Project site: Quang Tri province, Hue city, and Da Nang city. Project Owner: National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET). Management Unit: Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP). The Medisch Comité Nederland – Vietnam (MCNV) is one of the implementing partners.