Nguyet was a young Vietnamese woman suddenly faced with living day-to-day when she became a single mother. She worried about providing adequate food, clothing and an education for her baby. Nguyet shares, “I could not see a future for me and my daughter.”

Today, a modest home with tile floors and a metal roof sits in the bustling city of Da Nang. Out front, wooden tables and folding chairs invite customers to savor a cup of coffee or a bowl of homemade noodles, which Nguyet rises at 4 a.m. each day to prepare. The steady stream of customers each morning know this place as “Nguyet’s Shop.” With support from our joint Empowerment Through Enterprise program with partner Children of Vietnam, Nguyet has grown her customer base significantly. 

Nguyet is a role model for her 18-year-old daughter, who is continuing her education with earnings from Nguyet’s Shop. “I want my daughter to not just survive as I did, but to enjoy life,” she says.

Today is International Women’s Day. Worldwide, Nguyet’s story is common — the UN states that gender inequality is a major cause and effect of hunger and poverty: about 60 percent of chronically hungry people are women and girls. We can change that! With the promise of school meals, girls attend school and gain education for the future. With skills training and financial support, women learn trades, earn income and break the cycle of poverty. Please join us in lifting women and girls worldwide by donating now!