To Duc, Chief of the National Office on Poverty Reductionunder the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), highlightedsome changes in the programme which looks toprovide multidimensional assistance for the poor, especially in improvingincome and boosting their access to basic needs.
The goal is to achieve multidimensional, inclusive, andsustainable poverty reduction; minimise poverty relapse and new poorhouseholds; help the poor get above the minimum living standard, access basicsocial services, and improve life quality; and support poor districts, particularlydisadvantaged communes, coastal and insular areas to escape from poverty.
Stressingthe project on developing vocational education and sustainable livelihoods,part of the national poverty reduction programme, Duc noted MoLISA found that withvocational training, a labourer can access the labour market and earn his income, which is an effective measure for poverty alleviation.
A representativefrom the Gender Responsive Equitable Agricultureand Tourism programme (GREAT) of the Australian Department ofForeign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said with open approaches and thespirit of creating conditions for localities and communities to creativelyapply livelihood models, and encouraging enterprises and non-poor households tojoin in business connections with the poor in remote regions, the nationaltarget programme will create a foundation necessary for deprived areas toenhance their production, infrastructure, and technological capacity.
This representative said the GREAT project hasattracted over 27,000 women in the northern mountainous provinces of Son La andLao Cai to activities in 10 agricultural and tourism areas. About 70 percent ofthem are from 20 ethnic minority groups, and the majority live in areaswith high poverty rates. The project has helped over 15,000 women improve theirincome.
At theworkshop, participants discussed issues related to building guidance fordiversifying livelihoods, developing poverty reduction models, providingvocational training, and assisting people to work abroad under contracts. They alsoshared the success stories of some livelihood development and income generationmodels./.