Cow Raising Gives Families Hope in Vietnam

A father struggled to feed his daughter and send her to school—until an invitation to raise cattle gave him new opportunity.

In his daughter’s face, Duong* sees hope for a better future. He’s been raising her alone since she was 5 years old.

“Over the years, Duong prioritized her education above all other activities and was committed to personally taking her to school each day,” said staff with our field office in Vietnam.

Hoa* has grown up and is heading to university, and Duong is a proud father. But getting to this point hasn’t been easy. He’s scraped by as a motorcycle taxi driver—fighting hard to put food on the table. And he now faces the daunting task of supporting Hoa through her post-secondary education.

The opportunity to join a Samaritan’s Purse cow-raising project has given him hope for what is ahead. “I see this program as a bright start for the future,” Duong told us, his eyes welling with tears. “Now, I have hope and a new opportunity to survive.”

“Now, I have hope and a new opportunity to survive.” – Duong, Vietnam

Together with other community members participating in the project, Duong has undergone training in agribusiness. He’s learned not only how to raise cows but also how to manage his finances and develop a small herd that can create an ongoing income for himself and his daughter.

“When I started making wiser decisions to help send my daughter to college, she also took notice and became inspired to pursue her dreams,” Duong said.  “If there were no such project, I would not be able to raise cows by myself.”

Samaritan’s Purse is working around the world to provide hard-working but vulnerable families like Duong’s with livestock, including chickens, goats, pigs, and cows. They receive support such as materials to build shelters, tools to care for the animals, and training on how to sustainably feed the animals. Then, by producing milk or eggs and offspring for breeding or sale, the livestock become a valuable livelihood.

The calves that Duong raises and sells will help buy food and pay off Hoa’s tuition. Though he hasn’t been able to give her many gifts over the years, he’s working hard—with your help—to break the cycles of hunger and poverty in her life.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

*Name changed for privacy.