International relation activities in 2009

Apart from project management activities, international cooperation also left its hallmark through welcoming foreign delegations that came to visit and work with VBSP; opening training courses and share experiences on microfinance in Vietnam for its partners as well as successfully organizing study tours to different countries for VBSP staff.

                     Workshop between PRI, JFC & VBSP on technical cooperation

The main objective of such abroad study tours is to provide the staff of VBSP with the wider perspective on microfinance, not only in Vietnam but also in other countries that have similar microfinance situation with Vietnam. In 2009, VBSP successfully organized its delegations to study visit in the Philippines (from 6^th to 11^th July), Thailand (from 7^th to 12^th September), Indonesia (from 3^rd to 8^th August), Malaysia (from 5^th to 10^th October); Korea (from 28^th June to 3^rd July) and German Savings Bank (in May 2009). In addition, some VBSP staff also had a chance to take part in a workshop on “Development Banks and Financial Services for poor communities in rural areas” organized in Brazil and Guatemala from 28^th August to 7^th September 2009.

                                BIRD of India pays study visit to VBSP on microfinance     

It was also in 2009 that VBSP was first offered to give instructions and share experience on microfinance service delivery in Vietnam for its foreign partners, which initially asserted the status of VBSP in the international playground of microfinance. The bank, under the direction of the management board, welcomed 02 delegations from large microfinance institutions in Bangladesh. The delegations, each of which included 14 members led by PKSF came to learn and exchange experience with VBSP on microfinance. In addition, VBSP’s staff were also offered to give lectures on financial education for poor youths under the framework of  Financial education for the poor project, which was sponsored by Citi Group via Citibank Vietnam. Accordingly, VBSP organized 06 training courses, each with 08 sessions, for 300 trainees who were disadvantaged young people studying at vocational and job service centers of the Youth Union.

                              Cooperation between VBSP and Nayoby Bank of Laos

Besides, in 2009, VBSP also had the chance to welcome and work with different delegations from different countries and organizations, such as: ADB; Save the Children Foundation; Rabobank from Netherland; Policy research institution (PRI) and Japanese Finance Cooperation (JFC) from Japan; Ford Foundation; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), World Bank and so on. Those meetings and working visits have became a precondition for VBSP to grasp opportunities in the coming years.