Successful customer stories from VBSP

From Tra Vinh province

Mr. Thach Hoai Phong's family in Soc Chua hamlet, Thuan Hoa commune, Cau Ngang district (Tra Vinh) got married in 1999 and separated from his family with only 500 square meters of garden land as property. 10 years riding rice reaper to earn more money for living, his family was still in poverty. “In 2009, we were a poor households and with agreement from our Savings and Credit group, we got VND 4 million loan from VBSP to grow crops. Accumulated through many times of borrowing from VBSP, renting more fields to work, my family now has had a nice house to live in and more than 5,000 square meters of land to grow crops. My family life has stabilized ”said Phong. His son went to a technical vocational school with loan from VBSP. Showing at the new rice harvester at his house, he shared “I no longer have to rent a machine. I bought this machine at VND 100 million dong, the first haverst season, after deducting cost, I got VND 30 million.

From Thanh Hoa province

Born and raised in a remote mountainous area of Thanh Hoa province, Hoang Anh Son had a rough childhood. When he was little, all Son wished for was getting an education and a stable job for a better life. Son then studied mechanical engineering at college, and he could see a great potential for this sector at his hometown. Everything was difficult at first because Son did not have money for his startup. Through the local Youth Union, Son was granted a loan by VBSP. The aspiring mechanic spent this VND 250 million ($10,800) on facilities, equipment, rent, and human resources for his new firm. He soon turned his tiny household business into a company with VND4 billion ($173,000) of annual revenue and nine staff members. Son was happy that his firm did well on the market, improving the life of his own and many others in the neighbourhood.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Manh Quan from Vinh Phuc province grew up in a family of woodworkers. The family had great woodworking talent, but lacked capital, preventing them from expanding their business. Everything changed when Quan received VND50 million ($2,170) from the local VBSP branch for new woodworking equipment. From a struggling household, Quan’s family now earns VND140 million ($6,000) a year and employs two full-time staff members. Quan could refurbish his family home and the family was lifted out of poverty.