In 2024, USAID continued its impactful work in Vietnam, strengthening local capacity to drive sustainable development and inclusive growth across the country. In Pa Ban, USAID’s support for the Payment for Forest Environmental Services program has enabled forest dependent communities to conserve and sustainably benefit from their natural resources. In Thai Nguyen, the Son Dung Tea Cooperative flourished as e-commerce assistance boosted revenue, showcasing the blend of tradition and digital innovation. At the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City, USAID’s collaboration transformed medical education, fostering student-centered and active learning approaches. USAID also supported trailblazers like Dr. Tran Le Viet Thanh, who is advancing LGBTQI+ advocacy and revolutionizing HIV care, and innovators Nguyen Anh Chi and Nguyen Dien Tuan, whose assistive devices are breaking barriers for individuals with disabilities. Read how these initiatives embody USAID’s commitment to inclusion, empowerment, and sustainable progress in Vietnam.
Empowering Communities to Protect Forests
The community of Pa Ban have been using the surrounding forests’ resources for generations. Read how, since 2013, they have been sustainably using and conserving these forests as part of the Payment for Forest Environmental Services (PFES), an innovative program supported by USAID since its inception and implemented by the Government of Vietnam.
Digital But Steeped in Tradition
In 2018, Nguyen Thi Nhu Trang left her position at Thai Nguyen University, where she had been teaching business for 10 years, to apply her business expertise to her family's farm and formally establish the Son Dung Tea Cooperative. Read how USAID provided e-commerce support to this tea company–boosting revenue & reaching new customers.
Teaching Medical Students to Be Lifelong Learners
The medical student sits, listens, and takes notes as the patient describes her symptoms. They are across from one another in what looks like a doctors consultation office, but this is no ordinary consultation room, but rather a classroom—just one of the innovative teaching techniques being used at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City. Read how USAID supported the school in reforming its undergraduate medical curriculum to prioritize active learning.
Dr. Tran Le Viet Thanh, a Champion of Health and Youth Empowerment
Dr. Tran Le Viet Thanh is the Medical Director of Glink Vietnam, a USAID-supported clinic providing access to health care for the LGBTQI+ community. Read how he works to revolutionize HIV care in Vietnam, advancing youth empowerment, and increasing LGBTQI+ advocacy.
Breaking Barriers to Inclusion Through Assistive Devices
Mr. Do Trung Thanh was born with severe scoliosis and congenital cerebral palsy, resulting in extreme mobility impairments. At 44 years of age, he has spent his entire life unable to care for himself, completely dependent on his parents. Read how Ms. Nguyen Anh Chi and Mr. Nguyen Dien Tuan work together to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, like Thanh, through the design and construction of assistive devices.
