By Hanh Nguyen (General Manager of The Dariu Foundation, Vietnam)

The Dariu Foundation (TDF) was established in 2002 in Switzerland with its mission to empower low-income families with microfinance and education. Over the past 15 years, we have advanced the mission objectives by providing access to affordable and readily available microfinance services to thousands of rural low-income women, who are considered as unbankable, in Vietnam and Myanmar. Since 2007, we have provided more than 14,000 scholarships, as well as notebooks, school books, pens, uniforms, rice and bicycles to the disadvantaged and neediest students among the poorest families in the rural areas to prevent them from dropping out of schools at an early age.

We have had fruitful cooperation with international partners, of which Pedals for Progress (P4P) is the organization that has shipped us the most bikes. So far, three containers of bikes and sewing machines have been donated, benefiting around 1,500 families in the rural areas.

We are looking forward to a strong partnership so TDF and P4P can go further with comprehensive social projects in Vietnam.

Case Study in Vietnam

Binh Nguyen was born into a poor family in the mountainous district of Dong Nai province. He is now a secondary-school student, grade 6. One year ago, because of a kidney problem, his mom’s health went bad, and all housework was put on his shoulders and his dad’s. Besides doing all the housework, he got a part-time job as a fruit deliverer to earn some income for the family.

Every morning, Binh had to wake up early, preparing breakfast for his mom and two sisters before he took a four kilometer (2.5 mile) walk to school. When the kids were small, the dad took them to school, but now they have to walk. The family is too poor to afford a bicycle, so two kids had to walk by themselves. After school, Binh again walks home to help his dad harvest fruit, and to do the cooking and other housework. “I was sick and unable to do any job, even a little housework. So Binh has to do all the housework. He is a hard-working and good son. This year he was awarded the best-student prize. I am so proud of him,” said his mom.

In June 2018, he is among 500 students to receive scholarships of bikes donated by P4P via The Dariu Foundation in Vietnam. “I am very happy with my first bike. Now I can take my sister to school with me. And we no longer have to walk to school,” said Binh.