IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH MICROENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT
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BA professors Jonna Holland and Catherine Y. Co led a group of students to Vietnam this summer as part of a multiyear project to expand economic opportunities for ethnic minority women in Cao Bang province.
Before the trip, the professors co-taught a new course, International Microenterprise Development, during the spring semester. Eight students from the class were selected to travel to Vietnam. While in Vietnam, the group experienced the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, the country’s capital, and toured three remote villages in Cao Bang.
Amid taking in the lush landscapes and visiting landmarks, the students had a job to do: interview the women in the villages about their handicraft work. Matched with a high school student (who served as an interpreter), they talked to the women about their skills, family, community and hopes for the handicraft microenterprise the team is helping the women launch. Despite the language barrier, the women and students bonded over smiles and home-cooked meals. Back in Omaha, the students worked through jet lag to combine their research on cultural, economic and marketing issues with their in-country interviews. In August, the team launched a new brand for the budding business: Món Quà, which means gift in Vietnamese. This November, the women’s handcrafted products, ranging from Christmas ornaments to hemp zipper pouches, will be available for purchase. Proceeds from the sales support the women and their children, giving them a chance for a better life. The microenterprise project is made possible by the generous support of Bob Dodendorf.
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