The Samaritan's Purse livelihoods program in Vietnam gives families a chance to succeed in life—even through unlikely means.
Trang loves frogs. These four-legged amphibians had always intrigued the south Vietnamese father, but never did he think they’d become his livelihood.
Many years ago, Trang attempted to farm frogs out of his backyard with little infrastructure to care for them. The business soon failed when an epidemic swept through his colony. With his original investment wasted and debts piled high, Trang stopped construction on his new home and took a job as a rice loader. But the meager and inconsistent pay was never enough to care for himself—let alone his wife and their 10-year-old daughter.
“I wanted to change my life, but it ended up costing me a lot of money,” Trang said of the failed frog-farming business he lost 19 years ago. “After that happened, whenever I wanted to do something, the fear of failing always stopped me.”
Samaritan’s Purse stilled Trang’s fear when we came alongside the 39-year-old late last year through our livelihoods project. He received seed money to start a business venture of his choosing, and we provided continuing educational support and financial guidance through the whole process.
Income generated from Trang’s farm of frogs is helping the father pay off overdue debts and provide for his family.
With the assistance, Trang restarted his frog farm and, since August of last year, he has already sold the first colony of 2,000 frogs in the local markets. Now with the revenue earned, he bought another batch to raise and sell. These fascinating creatures have allowed Trang to breathe again.
“The new business has helped improve my family’s financial situation,” Trang said. “My goal is to expand the scale of my business in the future, pay off my debt, and complete the construction of my house. Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse, for helping me.”
Changing Futures Through Livelihoods
From the jagged mountains in the north to the low, sprawling deltas in the south, Samaritan’s Purse is coming alongside hundreds of families in Vietnam with livelihood opportunities to help end the cycle of poverty and show God’s love in a tangible way.
“We want to see people escape poverty and prosper,” said Dave Kletzing, country director for Samaritan’s Purse in Vietnam. “I hope that every father and mother will feel proud that they are able to provide for their family so that their children can pursue their dreams.”
Samaritan’s Purse does this by supplying families with cows and chickens and seed money to fund a small business, all as a way to help them transition from subsistence living to a sustainable, reliable income.
Samaritan's Purse staff members are diligent to teach, equip, and support each family in the livelihoods program so that their businesses and livestock can thrive.
A Father’s Second Chance to Provide
Khua was another father helped by Samaritan’s Purse programming.
Over a decade ago, he left Vietnam—leaving behind his newly wed, pregnant wife—for a job promised to him overseas. The employment opportunity quickly fell apart, and Khua found himself having to return to Vietnam without money or savings.
Hope rekindled for the young father when Samaritan’s Purse provided Khua and his family with a cow and 40 chickens, as well as training on animal husbandry and disease prevention to care for their new livestock. With the seed money provided, Khua and his wife turned their otherwise unused plot of land into a thriving garden with cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables to feed their family and earn an income by selling produce in the market.
Khua’s vegetable garden not only supplies food for him and his family, but also brings in a steady income—a blessing in their rural, Vietnamese village.
“Every day, my wife and I water the vegetables, pick pests, and tend to the garden,” Khua said, standing before his rows of cabbage. “Through hard work, I can feel positive changes in our life. Thanks to the daily income from selling vegetables, we are able to save a portion for our children’s education in the future.”
We thank God for the many families supported through our livelihoods programs in Vietnam, and the renewed optimism they have for the future. Please pray for Trang and Khua and their families as they work to grow their respective businesses. Pray for Samaritan’s Purse staff as we help meet critical needs in rural Vietnam.
