ĐẮK LẮK — The three-year “She Thrives” has concluded, delivering notable improvements in livelihoods and economic capacity for women and ethnic communities in Đắk Lắk Province.

The initiative was a collaboration between Cargill and CARE International in Việt Nam in partnership with the Center for Community Development (CDC) and the administrations of two communes in the province, Cư Bao and Ea Drong.

Its target was to help more than 15,000 people, primarily women and ethnic people, improve their livelihoods, financial management and market access through technical training, financial support, provision of breeding livestock and other farming inputs, and the creation of community-based groups.

But it surpassed its original goal by directly and indirectly helping 16,000 people improve their livelihoods.

Nguyễn Bá Luân, country representative of Cargill Vietnam, said: “We are proud that the ‘She Thrives’ project has promoted sustainable farmer livelihoods and empowered women and ethnic groups to participate more confidently in household economic development.”

Bạch Thanh Tuấn, CDC director, said: “The project has shown that when local communities, especially women, are equipped with the right tools and support, they can drive meaningful and lasting change.”

The project organised dozens of training courses on livestock and poultry farming, coffee processing and traditional handicrafts, enabling 5,260 people, 60 per cent of them women, to increase their incomes.

Vương Thái Nga, programme director of CARE in Vietnam, highlighted that the project fostered economic opportunities for women and vulnerable communities, creating an enabling environment for women to strengthen capacity, access resources and participate in income-generating activities.

The initiative also strengthened traditional producer groups, improving their market access through better techniques, product diversification and buyer engagement.

T’Lui Niê, a participant from Cư Bao, said: “Thanks to the training and support from the She Thrives project, I’ve gained the confidence and knowledge to expand my family’s livestock business. For the first time, I feel I can truly contribute to our income and help shape our future.” — VNS