The European Union Delegation to Vietnam signed contracts to grant 2.4 million euros to Vietnamese NGOs and European civil society organisations active in Vietnam.
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| Vietnam Red Cross Society extending help to flood victims |
Of the total, 600,000 euros will be allocated directly to Vietnamese civil society organisations.
This is the first time that the EU has granted money directly to Vietnamese NGOs.
It is part of an EU effort to promote the development of more civic participation at a grassroots level through capacity building.
The grants awarded will focus on capacity building of the beneficial organisations and in supporting local development in poorer provinces such as Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Quang Binh, Lam Dong, Nghe An, Phu Tho, and Yen Bai. They will focus on services such as health care and poverty reductions activities.
Some of the Vietnamese organisations to benefit will include Centre for Community Socio-Economic and Environmental Development, Research and Training Centre for Community Development, the Centre for Development of Science and Technology, Vietnam Red Cross Society and Caritas Dalat.
The head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam, Ambassador Franz Jessen said, "The EU understands the values which these Vietnamese organisations bring to their communities and their contribution to the overall development process".
These grants are part of the Thematic Programme “Non-State Actors and Local Authorities in Development" of the European Commission.