Amid the cloud-covered mountain ridges of Ta Xua in Son La Province, where many families continue to rely on subsistence farming and small-scale livestock raising, seemingly modest vocational training programs are creating meaningful opportunities for local women to improve their lives.

Among them are Giang Thi Vua and Sung Y Xoa, two participants in the "Non-Alcoholic Beverage Preparation" course under the sub-project "Developing Skills Training Services and Employment Opportunities in the Tourism Industry in Son La." The initiative is supported by the Australian Government-funded Gender Responsive Equitable Agriculture and Tourism (GREAT) Program.

Two weeks away from home for an illiterate Hmong woman

We met Giang Thi Vua on a summer afternoon at a small beverage stall perched along Dinosaur Spine Ridge in Chong Tra Village, Ta Xua Commune. Throughout the conversation, a local official helped interpret because Vua, a Hmong woman, speaks only limited Vietnamese.

That made it all the more remarkable to learn that she had once traveled on her own to attend a beverage-making course lasting more than two weeks, emerging as one of the most dedicated participants in the class.

Looking back on her decision to enroll, Vua said her family's livelihood had long depended on farming and livestock. In some years, disease outbreaks wiped out their cattle herd, leaving the family with virtually no income. Even basic expenses such as schoolbooks, pens and new clothes for their children often became a source of worry.

"There were times when we had to postpone buying salt, seasonings or instant noodles so we could save enough money for our children's school supplies," she recalled.

As tourism began to flourish in Ta Xua and Dinosaur Spine Ridge became a popular destination for visitors, she and her husband decided to open a small stall serving drinks to travelers. The business provided an additional income stream, but Vua lacked confidence because she had never received formal training in beverage preparation.

When she learned about the non-alcoholic beverage course organized by REACH Son La with support from the GREAT Program, her husband, Thao A So, encouraged her to take part. It was a decision that demanded considerable courage.

Unable to read or write, Vua developed her own way of learning throughout the two-week training. Whenever instructors demonstrated a recipe, she carefully observed every step, memorized the process visually, practiced repeatedly and recorded the lessons on her phone so she could review them later. On days when she found the material difficult to fully grasp, she called home and watched the recordings with her husband, who helped explain the techniques.

Back at home, Thao A So cared for their children, worked in the fields, tended livestock and managed household responsibilities while his wife was away. His support became an important source of encouragement, helping her complete the course successfully.

When Vua returned home, the family's modest drink stall featured a broader menu, better presentation and, perhaps most importantly, a more confident owner.

"I feel that customers are satisfied after trying the drinks. I believe what I make now is much better than before," Vua said with a bright smile.

Expanding the menu so every guest has another reason to stay

Not far away, at Y Xoa Homestay nestled among the clouds and mountains of Ta Xua, Sung Y Xoa is also putting the skills she gained from the training course into practice.

Years before Ta Xua became one of Vietnam's best-known cloud-hunting destinations, she and her husband were among the area's tourism pioneers, opening a homestay for travelers eager to explore the region's natural beauty. At the time, however, beverage services were limited to bottled water and instant coffee.

As visitor preferences became increasingly diverse, the couple considered enrolling Y Xoa in a professional beverage-making course. Yet tuition fees at many private training centers reached tens of millions of Vietnamese dong, forcing them to postpone the plan time and again. The REACH Son La course, supported by the GREAT project, finally provided an accessible opportunity.

"I learned many new recipes and immediately applied them to our business. Nowadays, guests often order coffee, cocoa and smoothies. I feel much more confident preparing drinks and serving customers," Y Xoa said.

The results have been encouraging. The family's homestay now generates several million Vietnamese dong in additional revenue each month from beverage sales alone. For the couple, however, the greatest value lies in enhancing the overall visitor experience.

A well-crafted cup of coffee enjoyed amid Ta Xua's sea of clouds can encourage travelers to linger longer, take more photographs, enjoy another meal and sometimes even decide to spend the night. In turn, that helps make the family's tourism business more complete, resilient and sustainable.

To visitors, a cup of coffee served among Ta Xua's misty mountains may seem like a small detail. But for Vua, Y Xoa and many other women, it represents something much greater - the determination to overcome limitations, seize new opportunities, build sustainable livelihoods and create positive change within their communities.

And sometimes, transformations of that scale begin with a small vocational training class in the mountains of Son La.

Source: GREAT