The Đức Linh area
Đức Linh is a district of Bình Thuận province, counting 11 communes.
The total area is 49.114 ha, of which 11.288 ha for agriculture. The
inhabitants are mostly economic immigrants coming from poorer regions
of Vietnam. Situated at 150km North of Hochiminh City, they are at the
border of the province of Dong Nai. Two decades ago, is was a rainforest.
Today, the population amounts to 140.000. Population growth used to
be high but is less now thanks to the government efforts for family
planning. Today there are less and less pupils in the primary schools.
The resources of this region are : paddy, fruit trees,
livestock, and fishing for those living close to the La Nga river. The
average annual income of the population is estimated at about 250 US$,
well below the national average (440 US$ in 2002). The reasons for poverty
are many: lack of capital, shortage of land for some, archaic techniques,
remoteness from the main markets etc. Although bank credit has become
more easily available, some have to turn to the moneylenders who charge
high interest rate (up to 10% monthly or more). When the need for investment
is urgent for purchasing seeds, fertilizer, fish net, harvest tools
etc. it is very difficult to access enough capital even from moneylenders,
which is the worst situation.
The impact of this poverty on health care and education
is disastrous. Few families have latrines. Water is polluted and the
hygiene standard is notoriously insufficient. A baseline survey carried
out by Viêt Nam Plus and the Health Department of the district
showed that 90% of people are infested by worms: the sitation ahs improved
a lot since. The people are now less exposed to malaria or dengue fever.
A quarter of the children do not continue beyond primary school, although
the population is unusually keen for their education, as often for the
people from the North.
Contract
The People's Committee and the Women's Union are competent
and motivated, except for 1-2 communes; which is a key factor of success
to run program in Vietnam. See data
on the area, as well as the
map. The contract and
permit for this
program expires in 2009. Đức Linh is a relatively "old" area
for Viêt Nam plus and now for Thiện Chí: all programs
are thus implemented there. This is also why it is the first program
to be handed over by Viêt Nam Plus to Thiện Chí, its Vietnamese partner.
