LOCATION

Quang Ngai Province is a coastal Province in Central Viet Nam. The RUDEP Program Management Unit operates in Quang Ngai City. Quang Ngai was identified by AusAID and the Ministry of Plannning and Investment as a suitable location for rural development and poverty reduction program due to the Province's high percentage of rural poor, slow economic growth, and limited previous Official Development Assistance. (see map of Quang Ngai Province and the Districts and Communes that RUDEP currently work in) 

BENEFICIARIES

 

Pro-poor targeting and the promotion of gender equity are key implementation and mainstreaming approaches of RUDEP. The Program works in selected poor communes in all mainland Districts in Quang Ngai Province.
	A participatory process for planning and implementation empowers householders. The Village Planning Meeting (right) begins this Participatory Planning Process with the identification of household and community difficulties and needs.

EMPOWERMENT

	Activity Groups form to design and implement activities in the Village and Commune Plans. Through participation in these Activity Groups, rural households increase their self reliance, capacity and confidence to access services and resources needed to improve their livelihoods. The Participatory Planning Processes allow households to be active in the development of their commune and influence decision-making and activities implemented.
	Focused Capacity Building for all stakeholders is a key element of the Program. RUDEP advisors discuss Program activities with staff from a Commune Peoples Committee.(left)

IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS

Households commonly raise health, education and natural disasters as problems affecting their livelihoods and household incomes. The combination of activities respond to these livelihood problems with technical support for production assists in sustainably increasing household incomes.

SUSTAINABILITY

The involvement of local Government, Departments and Agencies in Program plans and agencies encourages the adoption and understanding of RUDEP’s participatory approach, planning techniques and focused capacity building.
	Program activities raise the income generating capabilities of individual households. A bull is weighed (right) as part of a demonstration on cost effective cattle fattening techniques.

INCREASED INCOMES

RUDEP supports households to identify and prioritise key activities that they believe will most benefit their household, the community and contribute to increasing incomes. Activities are identified by household Activity Groups and are therefore suited to their socio-economic and geographical situation. Activity Groups proposals drafted and submitted to the Commune People's Committees for approval with Technical Departments and Agencies contracted to deliver services to households based on the activities and technologies identified. Adoption of appropriate technologies by poor households is facilitated through the Program's Village and Saving Credit Facilities (VSCFs).

 

	Members of a Village Saving and Credit Facility meet with RUDEP staff to discuss lending of funds to local households. Group members both save and borrow funds; encouraging ownership, responsibility and sustainability of the facility.

INFRASTRUCTURE

RUDEP provides assistance for communebased small scale infrastructure that will enhance income generation capabilities of households.

A kindergarten project is under construction.