Direct Aid Program (DAP) is a small grants program for small-scale development projects, funded by the Australian Government through the ACG, which aims to assist low income communities in southern provinces of Vietnam. The priority areas include education, basic infrastructure, as well as health and environment.
Every year, the Australian Consulate General provides funding for about 10 projects with average funding for each project around USD 7,000 to USD 8,000. For the 2007-2008 financial years, the Australian Consulate General received 43 applications from 17 southern provinces.
On September 28, 2007, Mr Mal Skelly, the Australian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, handed cheques to 5 project managers from Quang Ngai, Hau Giang and Binh Phuoc provinces, and two from HCM City, and has approved 6 other projects in An Giang, Binh Dinh, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa and Quang Nam provinces. The total fund is approximately VND 1.3 billion around USD 81,000.
In the same day, the Australian Consulate General also handed over AUD 2,000 (approximately VND 28 million) to The Union of Friendship Organisations in Can Tho to help victims of the Can Tho Bridge Collapse. The emergency relief money will be allocated to disaster victims’ families.
“We are very pleased to support the long standing work of provincial People’s Committees, non-government organisations (local and international), community organisations, as well as local hospitals and schools in assisting low income and disadvantaged communities by providing them with better access to school and education infrastructure, clean water supply, good housing conditions and health care services. DAP is impressive example of the cooperation that can develop from the strong people-to-people links that exist between Vietnam and Australia,” said Mr Mal Skelly.
Vietnamese
