Spending time with local families supported by Thien Chi offers a powerful glimpse into both the challenges and resilience of rural life in Vietnam.
The first family we visited has been part of the program for six years. During that time, they managed to double their monthly income from 600,000 VND to 1,200,000 VND (39,00€). While this may still seem modest, it represents a step toward stability. The family raises pigs and chickens and grows fruit trees to sustain their livelihood.
The woman of the household lives with epilepsy, which means she is limited to working from home. Her husband works in construction, but rising material costs have made his income increasingly unpredictable. During our visit, the Thien Chi team discussed ways to improve their chicken farming, particularly through the use of rice rusk and balsa to enhance feeding practices.
She showed us how to make chicken feed from a banana tree trunk. It looked simple until I tried it myself and completely failed. 
We also met her sister, who had previously received support as well, has now reached a point where she is no longer dependent on assistance, which is an encouraging sign of long-term impact.
Our next visit brought us to a woman who, with support from Thien Chi, produces and sells traditional Vietnamese cakes. Banh it is a small triangular sticky rice cake filled with sweet mung bean paste, carefully wrapped in palm leaves. These leaves are used purely for packaging and are not eaten. 
She runs this small business on her own, but her responsibilities go beyond that. She is also caring for her two grandchildren, as their father works in Ho Chi Minh City without a stable income. Her story reflects how interconnected family responsibilities and economic challenges often are.
The last family we visited is supported through microloans, which they use to cultivate and maintain trees. A particularly hopeful aspect of their story is their son, who has recently completed his IT studies. This is seen as a major milestone, not just for the family, but as a broader indicator of change. Moving away from agriculture toward more stable forms of income can be transformative, especially given how unpredictable farming has become due to fluctuating prices and increasingly unstable weather conditions. It’s clear that many families place immense importance on education, seeing it as the most reliable path out of poverty for the next generation.
After a final lunch with the founder, I returned to the office at 1:30 pm, where I had some time to work on this blog and reflect on the day.
But the day wasn’t over yet. In the evening, I was invited out for dinner and beer with two staff members and some of their friends. Their warmth and hospitality made me feel incredibly welcome. One of my favorite cultural moments was the way everyone at the table would cheer together with every sip of beer, it created a sense of connection.
Later in the evening, the wife of one of their friends joined us. As an English teacher, she and I had a great conversation, which I really enjoyed. The others also made a big effort to speak English, which I truly appreciated.
To top it all off, one of the men invited us for coffee the next morning!