The Dedicated and Wholehearted Group Leader of Phuoc Kien Hamlet

For nearly 16 years of working with the associations and the preferential credit movement, Mr. Le Van Bon (born in 1955), Leader of the Savings and Credit Group in Phuoc Kien Hamlet, Nhon Trach Commune (Dong Nai), has always been trusted by local residents for his dedication and integrity.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Dat, Director of VBSP Nhon Trach Transaction Office discusses the loan utilization of the Savings and Credit Group led by Mr. Le Van Bon

In 2009, when the area was still part of the former Hiep Phuoc Town, Mr. Bon was elected by the community to serve as Leader of the Savings and Credit Group. At that time, the group had just over 20 borrowing households with modest outstanding loans. With his careful, thoughtful, and approachable manner, Mr. Bon persistently encouraged and guided poor households to confidently access loans for business activities, economic development, and livelihood improvement.

In 2012, the local citizens and authorities continued to entrust him with the position of Head of the Front Work Committee in the neighborhood. From then on, he became even more familiar with the living conditions of poor and near-poor households. Knowing who was struggling and who needed financial assistance, he personally guided them in completing loan applications, introduced preferential credit policies, and accompanied them throughout the loan utilization process.

Currently, the Savings and Credit Group managed by Mr. Bon has expanded to 53 households with total outstanding loans exceeding USD 133,000, including nearly USD 47,000 in job creation loans. Notably, many poor and near-poor households have sustainably escaped poverty by using the borrowed capital effectively. Speaking proudly of successful stories, Mr. Bon shared: “There are seven poor households left in the hamlet, and all of them have received financial support for production and business. Some raise cattle, others run small shops or grocery stores. Particularly, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nguyet, a poor household, used the loan to purchase two breeding buffaloes. To date, her herd has produced more than ten calves, generating hundreds of millions of dong in income, helping her family escape poverty and achieve a more stable life”.

According to Mr. Bon, from the proceeds of selling buffaloes, Ms. Nguyet has fully repaid her bank loan and now enjoys financial stability in her old age. Besides providing access to fundings, he regularly reminds borrowers to make timely repayments and to save monthly. For families facing difficulties with paperwork, he does not hesitate to visit and guide them step by step. Some families with children admitted to university but struggling with tuition payments often come to seek his advice. To him, “helping others means doing it wholeheartedly”, so many graduates have found employment and repaid their loans in full.

Thanks to his responsible, transparent, and reputable work, the Phuoc Kien Savings and Credit Group has consistently maintained a 100% repayment rate with no overdue debts. Commenting on Mr. Bon’s dedication, Mr. Nguyen Tan Dat, Director of VBSP Nhon Trach Transaction Office, said: “Mr. Le Van Bon is one of the most exemplary and long-serving Group Leaders - highly dedicated and responsible. Thanks to people like him, preferential credit funds reach the right beneficiaries and generate real impact. He serves as both a bridge between the bank and the borrowers, and a companion who promptly identifies and helps resolve difficulties, contributing significantly to local poverty reduction”.

Over the past 16 years, Mr. Bon’s footsteps as a Group Leader have never rested. For him, the greatest reward is seeing poor and near-poor households overcome hardship, children attending school, well-built houses, and the steady improvement of livelihoods day by day.

Xuan Mai