Thach Thi Hong Tuoi is a young woman farmer of Khmer ethnicity living in Kinh Xang Village, Hoa Loi Commune. The Khmer community living in the Mekong Delta is the largest minority ethnic group in Viet Nam and they face many issues including no proper access to clean water and basic healthcare.
Tuoi used to cultivate rice and vegetables on 3000m2 of land in order to provide for her family of three. Due to a drastic salinity intrusion in 2016, half of her crops (mainly rice) were completely destroyed.
"Although the area is a freshwater region, we were badly impacted by salinity intrusion."
As a result, she and her husband decided to continue vegetable cultivation, but on a crop rotation basis, with four or five different kinds of vegetables at a time. This provided the main source of income for the family. Her husband also worked as a labourer and sold fish caught from the nearby canal.
One of the main challenges Tuoi and her husband face is the time and effort taken to water the crops.
"Before we got electricity, I used to water the plants with a bucket. After we got electricity I asked my brother for his help to buy a pump to get water from the canal".
In addition to the support from her brother, Tuoi received funding from the Women's Development Fund and the Adaptation in the Mekong Delta project. With around US$ 800 she bought a sprinkler system, seeds and fertiliser in order to improve the productivity of her crops.
The project also provided technical training on the irrigation system and on cultivating different types of crops. The sprinkler system currently covers one third of her land but she has already started noticing the benefits.
"I can save time and labour and the yield of my crops has increased".
Tuoi plans to expand her cultivation by another 1000m2 and intends on getting sprinkler systems for the remaining land. She and her husband are part of a collaborative group on vegetable farming, who regularly meet to share information and obtain advice and support from the commune officers. Although the past few years have been difficult, Tuoi is happy with the progress of her farming and is optimistic about the future.