The project truly cares about us

Before, my family’s income mainly came from farming, small-scale livestock raising at home, and doing hired cinnamon bark peeling. My husband worked far away. My child was still young. I had to handle everything on my own. The pressure was overwhelming. No matter how many household chores I did, without an income I was labeled as “sponger”.  Participating in the project changed me completely.

My name is Luong Thi Dung, I am the head of the Cay Gao Lang Khao Cooperative Group in Luong Thinh Commune, Lao Cai.

When the project first came to the village, I did not believe in it. In previous projects, they only provided chicks, without equipping us with knowledge. But when I joined the training sessions on livelihood models and planning, my trust began to take root. I thought I had to give myself a chance, to try finding a way to improve my family’s economy.

The Cay Gao Lang Khao Cooperative Group was established. The group bears the name of our village, Lang Khao, a village known for its ancient red silk cotton tree. My group has 30 members, mostly women (28 women and only 2 men). When it came time to select a group leader, no one dared to take the role. Everyone feared the group would decline due to poor management. I thought to myself: I have to test my own ability. I volunteered to become the group leader. I said, “Let me try.” I had no management experience, but I had been trained; I dared to think, to act, and to make my own decisions.

I dared to raise more chickens. The first restocking was 100 chickens; the second increased to 150 (later reduced to 100 to share with other members). I also experimented with raising ducks to see the profitability. I dream of raising up to 1,000.

Becoming a group leader meant I had to become a connector and a pioneer in action. The elder women struggled with technology and mobility; many could only walk. I immediately organized arrangements. Whenever there was a meeting or training session, I paired those who could ride motorbikes with those who could not, and even asked friends to help with transportation. We had to stay united so people would not have to walk long distances from the village to the commune. I also advocated moving training sessions to the village hall so everyone could travel more easily.

To sustain the group, I set a principle: fairness. All issues had to be discussed collectively, with consensus, and no gossip behind one another’s backs. I held monthly meetings. Even when there was no pressing business, we still met to talk. Had a bit of fun, then went home. Meeting regularly helped the women feel less isolated and not forgotten. During meetings, we shared experiences. Whoever encountered problems raising chickens shared remedies and useful medicines. When it came time to sell, we agreed on prices to ensure fairness across the group.

In management, the project supported only 12 livelihood models. Many people joined the group hoping to receive financial support. I had to be clear: participation was primarily for learning knowledge. When the group received one additional model, six people still did not receive support. Everyone was struggling; everyone wanted it. I said that choosing would be very difficult. I proposed drawing lots. Everyone agreed. Whoever was lucky accepted it; those who were not were still content. This fairness and transparency preserved unity and created psychological comfort for everyone.

The biggest change, and the one I like the most, was learning how to make plans. Honestly, before, I raised livestock without any calculation. I bought feed, raised chickens, and that was it. I never recorded how much feed I used, how much money I earned, or whether I made a profit or loss. I sold chickens without knowing anything.

Now it is different. The project taught me how to keep records. I know how much feed one chicken needs per day and how much money I earn from each batch. I write down the dates when I sell chickens, when I buy feed, and when I administer preventive medicine

This record-keeping is extremely important. After each batch, I review how much I spent on feed, chicks, and medicine to adjust for the next cycle. I apply the same approach to household expenses, and it is very effective. I share this experience with other women so everyone can learn and apply it.

More importantly, I learned from experience. By tracking disease-prone periods, I realized that the next batch needed a higher preventive dosage. In the most recent batch, although disease outbreaks were widespread in the village and many households lost chickens, mine, because of early vaccination and increased dosage, have not required a single dose of disease treatment medicine so far. Now I know how to choose good breeds, request proper male-to-female ratios, and I am no longer deceived by traders as before.

After some time participating, I became more confident. Before, I did not dare to speak during meetings or express my thoughts. Now I think: even if I say something wrong, I can correct it. Just speak up. Speaking up has made me more comfortable. I am more confident in communication and work. I now know how to find markets for my products myself: selling via Facebook, Zalo, and even confidently saying, “If they don’t get sold, I’ll take them to the market myself”. I worry less about market access.

Most importantly, I am no longer as dependent as before. With additional income from chickens, I can manage household expenses myself without relying entirely on my husband’s salary. The greatest psychological pressure was that no matter how much housework I did, without personal income I was still labeled as a “sponger.” Now I am much happier.

I also know how to manage my time. I have taken on additional work, such as joining the village security team to earn more income. I arrange my tasks reasonably so that in the evenings I still have time to relax by playing recreational volleyball.

Now I worry about how the cooperative group can continue operating after the project ends. The older women do not dare to invest heavily. I encourage everyone: even when the project ends, we still have to live, eat, and work. If we want to grow, we must restock. I guide everyone to set aside some money after selling chickens to reinvest in the next cycle, instead of using everything for household expenses.

Participating in the cooperative group has many benefits. If I raise 1,000 chickens, I cannot sell them alone. As a group, we buy chicks and medicine together (cheaper in bulk) and support each other with vaccinations. We go from one household to another, one person holds the chickens, another vaccinates, making the process faster. When there is a customer, I prioritize selling from other members; or if shipping is needed, I collect chickens from their houses and deliver them. This helps us maintain a stable customer base, such as the restaurant owner nearby. The strength of the cooperative lies in having a stable supply and maintaining loyal customers.

What I value most in this project is genuine care. Previous projects only provided livestock without closely monitoring how households actually benefited. This project is different. They regularly check on the chickens, provide disease treatment support, and distribute feed in small batches so that the management team has reasons to visit, check for diseases, and offer timely assistance. This gives me trust and motivation to strive further. I hope other donors and investors will also show such genuine concern, supporting not only members of our cooperative group but others as well.