Vietnam - Vietnam Agency

Vietnam Agency

December 10, 2003

 

Viet Nam project wins global Development Marketplace funding

 

Viet Nam's project entitled "Ha Tien-Habitats and Handbags" has won 102,750 USD from the global Development Marketplace Funding among 47 country winners all over the world.

 

"This is the second year a Vietnamese project won funding from the global Development Marketplace, being the winners among 2,700 applications and 183 finalists. The fascinating fact about the Ha Tien-Habitats and Handbags project is that it preserves the environment and the land, and at the same time, brings opportunities to the poor Khmer people so they can benefit fully from economic growth," said Klaus Rohland, Director of the World Bank in Viet Nam.

 

Building on the latest WB World Development Report, Making Services Work for Poor People, the theme of the 2003 Marketplace emphasized service delivery and aimed to provide seed funding for pilot projects that explore new ways of providing effective service delivery to those whom traditional channels have failed. The 47 service-related winning projects may in the future provide an on-the-ground application of the ideas forth in the Report.

 

The Ha Tien-Habitats and Handbag project tries to save the endangered sarus crane from extinction and increase incomes through improved harvesting techniques, skills and training.

 

By introducing sustainable harvesting techniques, the project will conserve grasslands and maintain the refuse of the sarus crane - an important symbol to the Buddhist Khmer people. In addition, skills training will allow the Khmer to craft higher value woven goods, such as handbags that would command a good price in the burgeoning tourist markets in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

The project is centered on a beneficiary group - the Khmer that still stands to reap the benefits of "doi moi" renovation. These have been enjoyed primarily by citizens in the major urban centers. In doing so, the Khmer people will be introduced to new technologies, new markets and a new set of business relationships.

 

The Development Marketplace is a World Bank programme that promotes innnovative development ideas through early stage seed funding. It links a wide range of social entrepreneurs with ideas for fighting poverty to partners with resources able to help implement their vision. The Development Marketplace (DM) goal is to create a marketplace of ideas, talent and resources that address the challengs of economic growth and poverty alleviation.