After a year living in Vietnam, we felt it was time to give something back to the country that has filled us with so much hope for the future. It’s safe to say we’d already fallen for the food, the warmth of the people, and the Vietnamese way of life—rooted in the simple promise: “If I can help you in any way, I will.”
Discovering Mekong Plus and their local partner, Anh Duong, marked the beginning of our journey understanding the depth and beauty of life in the South.
Lesson One: It’s all about community down here
After more than a decade living in London, we never once got to know our neighbours. Here in the Mekong Delta… it’s a very different story. Neighbours are the ones who, together with Anh Duong and the local authorities, give 14 million VND (about $540) to help you and your family build a proper roof over your head—replacing the tarpaulin and straw that once offered little protection from the rain.
In 2024, Anh Duong contributed approximately 800 million VND (around $30,000) to support the construction of 73 new homes for poor households in the area. Safe, clean housing brings more than just shelter; it leads to improved health, keeps children in school, and restores a sense of dignity and belonging for adults in the community.
Lesson Two: Resilience with a smile
It was always going to be humbling to meet people so full of kindness, resilience, and quiet strength but what struck us most was the consistency. In every home we visited, we were welcomed without hesitation. Even as we learned about the razor-thin income margins many lived on—mostly agricultural workers whose incomes rise and fall with the weather, the market, or livestock disease—there they were, offering us drinks, fruit, even leftover cake from a recent family celebration.
Anh Duong currently supports 2,632 families with microloans: 0-0.5% loans given to families usually to invest in agricultural and livestock projects, such as pig and fish farming, with the aim of reducing poverty, leading to economic sustainability and improved livelihoods.
Lesson three: It’s about the people
Development work here isn’t about sweeping interventions or quick fixes; it is about showing up consistently, listening carefully, and respecting each other. The success of Anh Duong’s work, whether it’s projects building safe housing, awarding scholarships, or providing technical agriculture training, relies on the strength of their relationships with the community.
The fantastic staff members at Anh Duong live in the communities, speak the dialects and understand the daily realities that shape people’s lives. They are out in the project areas every day, assessing loan applicants, giving advice on agricultural techniques or just checking in with a family going through a difficult time. At the end of the day, these aren’t just development projects – they’re about the people.
Challenges: Education, Education, Education
In 2022, a Unicef report found that whilst school completion in the Mekong River Delta was 98% for primary students, this falls below the national average to only 43% for upper secondary education. This sharp drop highlights the challenges faced by students once education is no longer compulsory and pressures to contribute to family income increase.
Education can change a child’s future but it is a fragile opportunity when some families simply cannot afford to keep a child in school beyond the compulsory years. Since 2005, Anh Duong has supported around 26,492 scholarships for children in primary and secondary schools, helping to keep students in school and ease the financial burden on low-income families.
Challenges: Real change might be slow but that’s okay
Anh Duong works with families who are usually living on less than $1 per person per day; in the 16 communes they work in, around 5.41% of families live under the poverty line.
While statistics might show the gradual repayment of loans and the increase in family incomes, the real impact is often less measurable: confidence, dignity, and a belief in the future. These small injections of cash are lifelines to families, allowing them to diversify their income, reduce debt, and start to build real financial resilience.
Financial independence may come slowly, but it stays.
The Future: Learn, Support, Visit
Keep up to date on the fantastic work done by the NGOs by signing up to receive the Mekong Plus newsletter as well as following for updates on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram.
You can donate to a scholarship for a child or a microcredit for a family. Visit the shops, or shop online, at the wonderful social enterprise Mekong Quilts and support women in the Mekong Delta earn a stable income by buying unique handcrafted products.
If you are lucky enough to be able to, I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful corner of the world. It’s a side of Vietnam that most people never get to see: visit the NGOs or book a once in a lifetime cycling tour.