One of the most impactful initiatives has been preferential credit from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP), which has enabled families to build livelihoods, invest in education, and move toward sustainable poverty alleviation.
Family success through VBSP loans
Nguyen Thi Ro, from Thiet Dinh Bac quarter in Bong Son ward, exemplifies this progress. Starting in 2011 with a 20 million VND ($820) loan to raise breeding cattle, she repaid the debt and continued borrowing to expand her livestock business and fund her children’s education.
When her four children entered university, VBSP student loans totaling hundreds of millions of VND provided vital support. “If it weren’t for the timely loans from the VBSP, it would have been very difficult for us to provide our children with a proper education,” Ms. Ro said.
Today, her family runs a home-based rice paper production business, and her children have found stable jobs. Her eldest daughter now works at ACB Bank in Ho Chi Minh City, while her second daughter is a Japanese language teacher in Quy Nhon. The family carries more than 345 million VND ($14,150) in outstanding debt, but these loans represent meaningful investments in education and long-term stability.
Rising from poverty
Another success story is that of 28-year-old Dinh Thi Chuc from K2 village, Vinh Son commune. Since 2020, her family has cultivated 1 hectare of high-yield cassava, 1 hectare of macadamia, 4 hectares of acacia, and raised buffaloes and pigs, earning a stable income of over 100 million VND ($4,100) per year.
At the beginning of 2024, Chuc applied to be removed from the poverty list. “Our lives have improved significantly, so I decided to apply to leave the poverty list, making room for families in greater need and contributing to the local poverty reduction effort,” she said.
Community strength in action
The annual “For the Poor” campaign, launched by the Vietnam Fatherland Front, mobilizes agencies, organizations, businesses, and citizens from October 15 to November 18 each year. Donations provide capital, tools, and livestock for poor households, while scholarships ensure children can continue their education.
Charitable organizations also play a key role. The provincial Red Cross, in partnership with Professor Michio Umegaki of Keio University in Japan, has entered phase five of a project supporting children with disabilities affected by Agent Orange. Running from 2025 to 2030, it will maintain four “Uoc Mo” (Dream) classes serving 92 children, offering training in communication, self-reliance, and community integration.
Red Cross Chairman Ha Van Cat said the organization also provides emergency relief, vocational tools such as weaving machines and juice carts, livestock, scholarships, bicycles, and coordinates blood donation campaigns.
The Provincial Association for the Support of Poor Patients funds health insurance for low-income families, provides assistance to over 600 elderly residents living alone, and finances the construction and repair of charity homes. In September, it approved funding for 11 houses, three new and eight renovations, to be completed before the storm season.
Charity kitchens: More than meals
The Association has also expanded its charity kitchen program, opening its 17th facility at Gia Lai General Hospital in August 2025. Within three weeks, four volunteer groups had already registered to provide seven free meals a month.
The charity kitchen at Gia Lai General Hospital, operating for more than a decade, has become a model of community spirit, with some volunteers serving for over 10 years. “Each meal is nutritious, hygienic, and easy to digest for patients,” said Tran Thi Tuyet, head of the kitchen.
A collective effort
From scholarships and home repairs to free meals and livestock, Gia Lai’s poverty reduction initiatives show how shared compassion can change lives. These programs provide immediate support while encouraging families to build brighter, more sustainable futures.
