Preventive Case Studies n°2

Family of Mr. Nguyen Nhu Phan and Ms. Tran Thi Thuy— Pho Nam A Village, Quang Tho Commune

Along the asphalted road of 25 km to the North, I came to Pho Nam A Village to visit the family of Mr. Phan and Mrs. Thuy, Quang Tho Commune, Thua Thien Hue Province.

It was the second time I had occasion to come back Mr. Phan’s home. In comparison with the previous existing house, it now looks very different with tiles tied down carefully, blue door, yellow painted walls, and concrete eaves.

Mr. Phan is 43 years old. He has 3 children of school age. His family was one out of 8 families of the first group selected for housing reinforcement in 2003. Being asked about the reason why their family was selected, they were very happy to tell:

They were selected after 3 stages:

• Firstly, meeting organized by village to popularise the project and ways of selecting
• Secondly, selected by hamlet
• Thirdly, selected by village (his village has 11 hamlets)

Through their saying, these selection meetings was very strict and democratic because their family have no special priority. The house was built in 1996 with non-plaster walls, tiles, and nylon-covered bamboo doors and windows. It was not improved just because of their difficult conditions. The house was full of wind and cold in winter and easily to be visited by floods and typhoons also. That’s why they are very happy to be selected for the DW project.

The reinforcement cost was 4,600,000 VND totally; of which, 2,000,000 VND subsidized by DW project and 2,500,000 VND from the Commune Damage Prevention Committee credit program.

Presently, they have a good house and they won’t have to suffer the extreme cold during the winter as well as worry so much about sudden storms like before. “We now just try our best to refund money and to afford sending their children to school,” Ms. Thuy, his wife said. Their main income comes from 5 sao (1 sao = about 500 m²) of rice fields and pig breeding.

Moreover, Mrs. Thuy can also earn about 15,000 VND /day from bitter melon and gourd trellis they plant in their garden. Due to this, they can arrange their life, bring up children, and refund the credit loan – 142,000 VND /month.

Their present desire is to save money so that in the year after they can improve the kitchen which is covered with bamboo.

Looking at the bright smile on their faces, I can feel somehow their happiness. Leaving their home, I wish they can reach their simple desire the year to come.