Ms Nguyen Thi Nguyet, mother of a eight member family, has replaced her degraded house (upper) with a well constructed one (lower) from her partnership with Habitat Vietnam's microfinance program.
ConocoPhillips and Habitat for Humanity Vietnam (HFHV) assisted nine families in Tien Giang and Dong Nai provinces in rebuilding and repairing their houses. Since 2007, in addition to annual Global Village volunteer trips, ConocoPhillips has donated $15,000 USD to HFHV’s microfinance projects to enable disadvantaged communities throughout Vietnam to improve their living conditions.
Houses made of dry leaves, earthen floors and rotten wooden pillars have been replaced with sturdy ones made of durable materials that have sufficient facilities for the families’ daily needs. HFHV’s microfinancing diverts loan repayments into a revolving fund aimed at assisting additional needy families and is expected to expand in the coming years.
According to government statistics, more than 10,000 families in Vietnam lack adequate sanitation and at thousands of homes are made with biodegradable materials such as dirt, palm leaf thatching, untreated wood and grass that only last 2-4 years in tropical climates. Such housing is susceptible to dampness and mildew which contribute to illnesses directly impacting child and adult mortality rates. Studies have shown that children in substandard housing study less, invite fewer friends to their homes and are less likely to complete high school than those in families that live in safe, healthy and more permanent housing with clean water and sanitation.
