Grants and training programmes empower women entrepreneurs in Cambodia and Viet Nam

In the neighbouring country of Viet Nam, Nguyen Phuong was similarly experienced economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her family of four sunk into debt and she worried how they could possibly pay it off. 

However, in November 2023, Phuong’s family, together with women in need in 11 districts of Tien Giang Province, received a cash grant of VND 5.5 million (around USD 200) from UN Women through the Tien Giang Women’s Union, allowing them to rebuild their livelihoods. 

Phuong used her grant to restart her small farm by buying two pigs and followed training from the Women’s Union on their proper care and management. She anticipates earning up to VND 10 million (about USD 400) by selling the pigs after the Lunar New Year. 

“I will use the money earned from selling the pigs to fix my house’s leaky roof and buy more piglets so that my family will not have to worry about our meals in the coming days”, she said. 

Another grant recipient was Le Kim Tien, 29, a mother with disabilities who has a four-year-old son in Tien Giang Province. She lost all her savings and income from her small grocery shop due to COVID-19. 

“In October 2023, I obtained funds from UN Women to expand my small shop”, she said. “I diversified my goods and also acquired new skills for online sales and improved business management.” 

She said her income had doubled since making use of the grant, as she was now able to sell to new customers beyond her neighbours.  

From October to December 2023, all the cash grant recipients in Tien Giang, including Tien and Phuong, underwent diverse skills training that covered livestock rearing, crop cultivation, economic management, and business skills. The trainings also covered topics such as preventing gender-based violence. 

UN Women’s “Emergency Response and Recovery Support for Women at Risk of Violence Most Affected by COVID-19” project, funded by the Government of Australia, distributed grants to a total of 3,388 women in Tien Giang Province and Ho Chi Minh City. 

The grants prioritized the most vulnerable, including women-headed households, pregnant women, women with children under the age of two, individuals with disabilities, migrant workers, women with HIV, survivors of violence, and women over the age of 60 who have been impacted by COVID-19. 

Nguyen Thi Kim Phuong, Chair of the Tien Giang Women’s Union, stressed the significance of the programme, saying, “It is an essential lifeline to vulnerable women, helping them rebuild their livelihoods during challenging economic and climate change circumstances.”