Japan and Viet Nam signed non-refundable assistance contracts for two non-governmental projects worth more than US$1 million on Thursday in Ha Noi.

In the framework of the fiscal year 2014, more than $469,000 will be funnelled into the project entitled Improved nutrition for children and ensured food security for the most impoverished people (third phase), and another $591,864 into a project to establish women's healthcare centres and improve the capacity of local midwives.

The first, three-year project, targeting the northern Yen Bai Province in Viet Nam, is being implemented by Save the Children Japan for the past two years.

"Save the Children Viet Nam has co-ordinated with the provincial departments of health and agriculture and rural development to carry out numerous activities such as diversifying food security guarantees and expanding vegetable gardens," a press release from the Japanese Embassy in Ha Noi says.

"The project also helps increase the cash income of local people by providing small-scale loans to enable them to raise black chicken and rabbits, and improve awareness about healthcare and nutrition," the document says.

All these activities took place in six communes in Van Chan District, which has the highest number of poor households in the province.

The other project aims to provide training to commune-level and district-level midwives in Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Tri and Quang Binh provinces, and to provide training on healthcare to women and people in rural areas.

Carried out by the Japanese Organisation for International Co-operation in Family Planning, the project has so far provided high-quality reproductive healthcare services for improved protection throughout a woman's life and to build women's health centres in Hue City.

The two projects are focused on key points under the framework of the Japanese non-refundable co-operation, implemented by non-governmental bodies involved in poverty reduction programmes in Asia.

VNS