CRS Work in Vietnam
CRS Vietnam continues to develop and strengthen its Education, emergency and Agriculture and rural enterprise programs by working in solidarity with its partners. CRS is also developing local capacity in agriculture and rural enterprise development, and advocating for policy reform in education and agricultural extension.
The Agriculture and Rural Enterprise Program
The Agriculture and Rural Enterprise Program aims to improve the livelihoods of poor rural families. This is achieved by improving villagers' capacity to access and use agriculture and business information and support services so they are able to increase and diversify their sources of income.
The program works with rural communities to build local networks that are able to help them improve agricultural production and business. This is the first project in Vietnam simultaneously supporting the agriculture extension and business development services available to rural communities.
The Emergency Program
The Emergency Program works with local communities affected by natural disasters to develop effective disaster mitigation and response networks. This is achieved by working with partners to build capacity in emergency response and preparedness in communities regularly affected by flooding or drought. CRS works with national and international organizations to coordinate disaster responses, ensuring that the most vulnerable groups are supported.
The Education Program
The Education Program works with national and local partners to ensure that disadvantaged children have access to a quality education. This is achieved by building capacity at the local level to develop activities and curriculum to meet the special needs of the participating children; the program also aims to use project successes to advocate for policy changes to support the needs of disadvantaged children in Vietnamese education.
Some specific examples of our work include the following:
Unexploded Ordnance Awareness Education Project
This project aims to strengthen skills, knowledge and practice of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) safety and UXO victim sensitivity by students in affected communities.
Nam Hung Integrated Water Management and Cropping Systems Project
This project aims to improve the family life and livelihoods of 1,375 people by improving conditions for agricultural development; supporting small-scale irrigation system development and management; and providing training in technical and organizational capacity building.
Inclusive Education Project
This project aims to strengthen community support of health and education for children with disabilities. It focuses on integrating school, home and community support mechanisms to meet the needs of each child through activities such as disability screenings by health workers, advocacy work through teachers and community leaders, planning for educational inclusion, and providing teachers with the necessary training and skills to support children with disabilities in the classroom.
Laos Basic Education in Disadvantaged Areas Project
Aims to strengthen teacher and community capacity to improve the quality of education for children, especially ethnic minority groups and girls in remote areas. Focuses on supporting partners in implementing teacher training for unqualified or poorly qualified teachers, and involving the community in improving the school infrastructure.
