The international aid agency has so far poured over VND16 billion (US$812,000) on programmes that include the building of provincial medical centres, water-closets, kindergartens and health care for local children.

Plan Vietnam said the projects have benefited more than 7,000 local children, 45 percent of whom come from ethnic minority groups. It has also helped train local medical staff, provided free health checks-up for thousands of local poor, children and women, while spending over VND2.5 billion on rolling out economic development models for more than 300 poor households, providing credits and training for nearly 700 poor women and supporting close to 4,500 victims of natural disasters.