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Socioeconomic Background

In the past 15 years of constant reforms towards modernization and a market economy, Vietnam's economy has grown impressively at an annual average rate of more than 5%. However, while standards of living have generally improved, many families still find themselves trapped in poverty.

Vietnam has one of the highest literacy rates in developing countries, but in recent years poor families, especially those from rural areas, have faced several forms of direct and indirect costs: monthly tuition, additional tutoring fees, school maintenance fees, textbooks, school uniforms. Therefore many families can no longer afford to send their children to school.

According to UNICEF,

• 95% of the poor live in rural areas and enormous disparities in poverty are observed across Viet Nam’s 64 provinces and major urban areas.
• Malnutrition continues to affect around a third of children under the age of five.
• Rapid economic growth has been accompanied by urbanization and labour migration with adolescents disproportionately represented among urban migrants. This phenomenon has led to an increase in the number of children in need of special protection from economic and sexual exploitation, drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.
  (from http://www.unicef.org/vietnam/overview.html)

Despite enormous economic progress in the past decade, Vietnam still confronts myriad social challenges. VietHope works to alleviate the plight of poor children in rural areas by implementing educational projects that give these children a chance to overcome the poverty trap and fulfill their potential.