Over recent years, policy credit has served as a firm foothold, providing women with added resources to invest in production, develop livelihoods, increase earnings, and improve their lives. Through preferential loans, numerous families have progressively stabilized production, escaped poverty, and built more secure livelihoods.

Policy credit generates stable livelihoods

Previously, constrained by capital shortages and limited animal husbandry experience, daily life for the family of Vì Thị Hương in Na Son village, Na Son commune, was filled with difficulties. Following outreach and guidance from the village Women’s Union Branch, she boldly applied for loan capital from the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies to invest in livestock breeding. Utilizing the preferential loan, she purchased breeding cows, while actively attending livestock farming and disease prevention training sessions organized directly in the village by the commune General Service Center. Applying practical knowledge gained, she progressively enhanced farming efficiency and expanded herd size.

Vì Thị Hương shared that she borrowed VND 100 million from the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies to purchase breeding cows. During the rearing process, the mother cows birthed 4 additional calves, and the family sold 2. The herd currently stands at 11 heads. Seeing that raising breeding cows brings economic efficiency, her family plans to retain breeding stock to expand the herd and increase income. The loan capital provided her family with the means to develop animal husbandry and steadily stabilize their livelihood.

Across 6 communes comprising Na Son, Phình Giàng, Pu Nhi, Xa Dung, Mường Luân, and Tìa Dình managed by the Điện Biên Đông Transaction Office of the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies, total outstanding loan capital entrusted through the Women’s Union exceeds VND 152 billion. There are currently 64 Savings and Loan Groups with over 2,500 members under the direct management of the Women’s Union. Borrowers concentrate loan capital on animal husbandry, crop cultivation, and developing family farm models suited to local conditions.

According to Tòng Văn Thanh, Deputy Director of the Điện Biên Đông Transaction Office of the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies, field inspections show that policy loan capital channeled through entrustment partnerships with socio-political organizations, including the Women’s Union, has fundamentally been utilized for intended purposes. Many models operate effectively, generating additional income and expanding livelihoods for borrowing households. This serves as the foundation for the office to continue reviewing and delivering credit to meet the genuine economic development needs of grassroots members.

Credit capital reaches border region

In the border commune of Nậm Kè, the commune Women’s Union currently has 1,031 members active across 14 branches. Identifying policy credit as a vital resource helping members secure investment capital for economic growth, the commune Women’s Union proactively coordinates with the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies to disseminate loan schemes, assess borrowing demands, and guide members through application procedures for preferential credit.

Currently, policy credit balance managed by the union exceeds VND 14.4 billion. Counting from the beginning of 2026 to date alone, over 200 turns of women members across 6 Savings and Loan Groups have accessed preferential loans. Equipped with capital, women focus on investing in production, animal husbandry, farming, farm-based economic development models, and job creation, thereby progressively raising incomes and improving living standards.

Khoàng Thị Phe, Chairwoman of the Women’s Union of Nậm Kè commune, stated that identifying policy credit as a vital resource for generating livelihoods and raising incomes has prompted the union to guide members in choosing appropriate loan programs, formulating fund utilization plans, and monitoring investments post-disbursement. This ensures members utilize borrowings in alignment with practical conditions, curbing scattered investments and low economic efficiency.

Creating further support for members to advance

Across Điện Biên province, there are currently 540 Savings and Loan Groups directly managed and operated by various tiers of the Women’s Union. These groups maintain regular meetings, conduct loan appraisals, monitor capital utilization, and coordinate post-loan inspections. Supported by this funding, numerous economic models led by women have emerged and expanded. Rearing water buffaloes, cattle, goats, and poultry; cultivating coffee, macadamia, fruit orchards, and vegetables; and operating home-based micro-businesses have become appropriate livelihood pathways suited to household capacities.

At present, total outstanding loan balance managed by the provincial Women’s Union surpasses VND 1,400 billion, with 18,043 members carrying debt. More than 19,600 members take part in savings schemes, accumulating an aggregate savings amount exceeding VND 22.5 billion. Overdue loans account for only 0.18% of total outstanding credit. These loans provide additional resources for women to invest in production, augment income, and uplift living standards. Women’s Union branches across all administrative tiers also survey disadvantaged chapters to establish livelihood models and develop household economies, aligning loan sources with practical member needs.

From dissemination, needs appraisal, and beneficiary screening to post-disbursement supervision, Women’s Union chapters across the province alongside Savings and Loan Groups are fulfilling their roles as bridges, delivering policy support to the right recipients and matching authentic needs. Moving forward, the provincial Women’s Union will continue partnering with the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies, prioritizing the deployment of loan capital to women in remote, isolated, and border zones to facilitate livelihood creation, raise earnings, and stabilize daily life.

Pờ Diệu Ninh, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee and Chairwoman of the provincial Women’s Union, stated that in the upcoming time, the provincial Women’s Union will maintain close coordination with the Việt Nam Bank for Social Policies so that female members across the province, especially those in difficult remote, isolated, and border associations, can access preferential loans. This provides women with greater conditions to advance household economies, increase revenue, and secure stable livelihoods.

In challenging terrains across Điện Biên province, policy credit capital serves as an essential pillar enabling female union members to invest in household economic ventures. The efficacy of this capital is verified through income-generating production models, created employment, and steadily stabilized living conditions.

Preferential loans have been providing numerous opportunities for broad ranks of women union members across the province to choose fitting paths, build better lives for their households with confidence, drive local socioeconomic growth, and help realize sustainable poverty reduction targets.