The new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which started from China is spreading rapidly all over the world. Vietnam, one of our targeting countries, has also been affected by coronavirus. Since it first appeared in January, the government had taken decisive measures such as immigration restrictions, school closures, isolation of people infected or suspected of being infected with the new coronavirus, etc. Due to that, our activities were suspended for about 3 months, from February to the beginning of May. In our project sites, virus tests and medical treatment systems do not function properly. Furthermore, the lack of hygiene items which are essential for prevention of coronavirus is a big issue as in other provinces of the country. Received the support request from the local government, in mid-March, FIDR conducted the delivery of 500 five-liter bottles of alcohol disinfectant, approximately 15,000 pieces of soap, 50,000 pairs of vinyl gloves and more to 56 health centers, 6 district hospitals, 8 Centers for Infectious Diseases in 6 mountainous districts of Kon Tum Province and Quang Nam Province.

FIDR staffs (in front of FIDR office — Da Nang city) confirmed relief supplies before delivering to two provinces.

Distribution of relief supplies with the cooperation of staffs and Department of Health (Tay Giang District, Quang Nam Province).

Despite the impact of Covid-19 pandemic, people participating in the project still make efforts to improve their life. Hereafter is a story of Basket Knitting Group, one Community Initiative Group (CIG) established in the project activities. The group has been making “Welcome Gift set” including plastic bottle holders and other gifts for tourists visiting Cotu villages. However, in these few months, all the sightseeing tours have been cancelled due to the spread of new coronavirus. FIDR staffs worried that their income would be reduced, but they told us that:

“Recently, plastic bottle holders and various types of baskets have been available for sale in our village and nearby villages. I found new market in a surprising place that I haven't imagined before.”

“Through this project, I learned how to sell the products. While participating in the trainings and meetings, I was able to get acquainted with a lot of people in nearby villages, where I had not been visited before. They introduced my products to the market, so even there are no tourists now, I still receive income by selling these products”.

It can be seen as one of the project's impacts on local people that they have become more active and flexible in product development and marketing in their own way, even in this current difficult situation.

Men of Basket Knitting Group showed their proud plastic bottle holders