March is a moment to celebrate women everywhere. At Mekong Plus, women are not only beneficiaries of development programs, they are also leaders, entrepreneurs, and pillars of their communities.
Across rural Vietnam and Cambodia, thousands of women are quietly building stronger futures for their families. Some lead community initiatives, others develop small businesses through microcredit, while many support their households through skilled work like quilting. Behind each program, there are real stories of courage, and hope.
This month, we want to highlight the journeys of three remarkable women whose lives reflect the impact that opportunity and solidarity can create. Their experiences show that when women gain access to resources, confidence, and community support, they become powerful agents of change for generations to come.
From struggling farmer to community leader
Nguyễn Thị Dư’s journey with Thien Chi Center
When Nguyễn Thị Dư first heard of Mekong Plus in 1999, life was extremely difficult. A mother of four, she worked in the fields while also taking on occasional hired labor to help support her family. Even with these efforts, making ends meet remained a constant struggle, and ensuring her children could stay in school was a daily concern.
Everything began to change when she joined a savings and credit group created by Mekong Plus in her village. Her natural ability to organize, calculate, and communicate quickly became clear. She soon became the leader of her group and, after several years of collaboration, was officially recruited as a staff member of the Thien Chi Center, Mekong Plus’s local partner organization in south Vietnam.
Today, more than twenty years later, she dedicates her time to supporting families facing hardship. Her work takes her across villages by motorbike, visiting households, assessing their needs, and helping them find solutions. She coordinates scholarship programmes for children, supervises women’s handicraft groups, and connects families with health insurance, agricultural advice, or financial support depending on their situation.
One story remains particularly meaningful to her. A family with five daughters once lived in a dilapidated house and struggled to sustain their crops. Through housing support, small agricultural investments, and scholarships for the children, the family slowly rebuilt their stability. Today, all five daughters are studying, and the eldest is already in her second year of university. For Mrs. Dư, seeing those girls continue their education is the most powerful reward of her work. She often says that helping a family today means planting seeds that will grow for years to come.
Microcredit and a new sense of independence
Mrs. Hem Ma’s path to stability
In many rural areas of Cambodia, families rely heavily on seasonal farming. When harvests are small or unpredictable, households face long periods with very little income. For Mrs. Hem Ma, a beneficiary of the C.A.O. (Community Advancement Organization) microcredit program supported by Mekong Plus in Cambodia, life once revolved entirely around rice cultivation during the rainy season. After harvest time, she would grow vegetables and raise a few chickens or pigs, but the production was rarely enough to sustain the household throughout the year.
Through Mekong Plus’s microcredit programme, she received a small loan that allowed her to improve her agricultural production and gradually develop a new activity. With time and determination, she opened a small household shop in front of her house. This modest business transformed her daily life, as it created a regular source of income instead of relying solely on the farming cycle.
The financial stability brought by this small enterprise has reduced the constant stress of covering basic expenses. It has also enabled her to keep her youngest son in school and plan more confidently for the future. Beyond the financial benefits, the experience has given her a stronger sense of independence and pride. Being able to manage her own activity and repay the loan from her daily earnings represents a major achievement. Today, her dream is to continue expanding her shop so she can support her son all the way through university.
Stitching dignity and opportunity
Mrs. Lê Thị Niềm’s life with Mekong Quilts
Before joining Mekong Quilts, Lê Thị Niềm’s family depended largely on her husband’s daily labor. She worked mainly in farming and occasionally sewed simple clothes for relatives, but her income was irregular and unpredictable. Life required constant budgeting, and every household expense had to be carefully considered.
Her journey with Mekong Quilts began after another woman in her village introduced her to the sewing group. At first, the work was challenging because the quality standards were high and every stitch required precision. Yet her passion for sewing and the encouragement of other women in the group motivated her to keep learning. Her first piece was not even a quilt, but an apron, which marked the beginning of a long journey of skill-building and personal growth.
After nearly two decades, Mrs. Niềm has become a highly skilled quilter capable of producing complex designs and mentoring newer members. The work has brought much more than technical expertise. It has created friendships, strengthened her confidence, and most importantly provided a stable income that allows her to contribute actively to her family’s wellbeing.
Thanks to this stability, she has been able to support her children’s education and gradually improve her family’s living conditions. Her eldest son has already graduated in electrical engineering and begun his professional life, while her younger son is continuing his studies. This year, she hopes to achieve another major milestone by building a new and stronger home for her family. For her, quilting represents dignity and the proof that perseverance and opportunity can lead to lasting change.
Women at the heart of sustainable change
The journeys of Mrs. Dư, Hem Ma, and Niềm illustrate something fundamental about development work. Programmes and funding are important, but real transformation happens through people. When women gain access to education, financial tools, and stable employment, they not only improve their own lives but also strengthen their families and communities.
Across the villages where Mekong Plus operates, women are often the driving force behind progress. They invest in their children’s education, support one another through local networks, and help create stronger and more resilient communities.
Empowering women has therefore always been central to Mekong Plus’s mission. These three stories are just a small glimpse of the many women who are shaping a more hopeful future for the next generation.
Join Us on March 26, 2026
These reflections do not stop here. They will also be at the heart of the conference organised by Mekong Plus and MMS on Thursday, March 26, 2026, where these questions about impact, development, and social entrepreneurship will be explored further. The evening will feature Étienne de Callataÿ, alongside Bernard Kervyn, founder of Mekong Plus, and Claire Thibaut, founder of MMS, who will share her experience from numerous missions in the Kivu region.
The conference will take place at Église Saint-François in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, starting at 8:00 PM. It is an opportunity to reflect together on what truly effective solidarity looks like and how each of us can contribute meaningfully.
More Ways to empower the women
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Sponsor a girl with a scholarship: https://mekongplus.org/en/sponsor-a-child/
- Buy the wonderful craft made by our women artisans: https://mekongquilts.com/
- Finance a microcredit: https://mekongplus.org/en/finance-a-microcredit/
- Join our eco-tours: https://mekongplus.org/en/mekong-bikes/
- Make a donation to our programmes: https://mekongplus.org/en/donate/
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