Project Descriptions (artist statements)

Vietnam Projects

Ha Giang - Ethnic Minorities and Water

Ha Giang - the history - Ha Giang Province is in Veitnam's northern boder area next to China. It was one of the contested areas when the Chinese PLA (People's liberation Army) invaded Veitnam in 1979. The invasion did not last long bit it did progress into three of these very mountainous provinces. As a result the Vietnamese consider it wise to keep the mountains inhabited with Vietnamese citizens though that presents some contemporary challenges.

These areas are primarily occupied by tribal ethnic minorities. The local economy is poor and in many ways the living conditions have not changed much for many centuries despite the presence of electric power, satellite TV, and motorbikes. Much of the economic challenge can be blamed on the mountains and the weather. Vietnam has a rainy and very dry set of seasons. But productive farming must go on for almost all of each year to be financially efficient. That takes a continual supply of water even through the dry season.

At low altitudes this is not difficult due to rivers, irrigation present on mostly level land, and reservoirs. Higher altitudes, such as in the mountains of Ha Giang, create a very harsh situation. A lack of year round water means fewer crops per year, no extra or even enough crop growth so there are no extra crops to sell and therefore no income to spend on other needs.

When it does rain crops will grow but soon the dryness comes and all the water goes down the mountain. So without adeqaute pumping back uphill or large reservoires at high altitudes the lack of water is a large issue. Then there are the traditional problems of pure water for cleaning and even more pure water for drinking and cooking. UNICEF took a crack at this problem in 2002 installing wells in some villages often one per family dwelling. But the people in those villages say the well water is OK for washing but not safe to drink.

The problems of the tribes and their high mountain villages is resolvable but only at great infrastructure cost. So why not move down the mountain? They can't get land in the valleys as there is not that much that is farmable and it is all spoken for. They would not be able to maintain their tribal ethnic traditions. If they were to migrate downslope they (and Vietnam), may lose their province to their large neighbor to the Noth whose land grabs into Vietnam have a hisory dating back 2000 years ago.

The Ha Giang Project - this project is ongoing as of early 2010. Work done this far explores the tribal people's and their living conditions. It also has looked at the water reservoire potential as it exists in Ha Giang downstream and downslope in the valleys. The project also seeks to explore the beauty of the land that is an incentive for the ethnic minorites to stay there despite their challnged existence.

New Women Entrepreneurs has been made possible with financial assistance from The Underwood Foundation via an Anonymous Donor, The Underwood Foundation - Direct Grants, Dr. Thom R. Feroah - Individual Grant.