World Vision and Plan Int'l help with housing



Ha Noi, Mar. 8 (VNA) -

* World Vision Gives House Frames to Flood Victims
World Vision has so far presented 512 ready-made house frames, each worth VND 9 million, about USD 600, to flood victims in the Mekong-delta province of An Giang.

The floods that struck the Mekong delta last year seriously damaged tens of thousands of houses and knocked down more than 3,000 others, leaving many people homeless.

The Canadian and British Governments have donated a number of ready-made house frames worth USD 321,000 to flood victims in the delta through World Vision.

Another 100 ready-made house frames will be delivered to flood victims in the province later this month.

* Plan International Helps Poor Households in Bac Giang
Plan International, a non-government organization, NGO, working in social charity and community development, has just launched four projects with a combined investment of VND 276 million, USD 19,000, in northern Bac Giang province.

The projects are intended to help 490 poor families repair their houses, dig water wells, plant high-yield rice strains and develop a household economy to eliminate hunger and poverty.

Plan International-funded projects focus on improving the living standards of women and children. The organization has carried out more than 30 projects at a cost of VND 30 billion - more than USD 2 million - in 12 Bac Giang's communes since June, 1997. Those projects were in public health, education, rural-economy development and environment protection.

Bac Giang province has put into operation 12 multi-storey schools, 42 kindergartens, three irrigation networks and one concrete bridge with help from Plan International.

In addition, more than 1,550 local households were provided with construction materials for building their houses and about 2,000 others with loans for developing production.--VNA