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To date 61 microprojects, totaling some US$1,800,000, have been carried out in the northern provinces of Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Lai Chau, in the central provinces of Thua-Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai, Quang Binh and Thanh Hoa and in the southern provinces of Binh Dinh, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh and Bac Lieu. The various types of projects covered under this programme are as follows:

To date the programme has financed the construction of 10 new primary and 10 new secondary-schools either as new schools or to replace existing dilapidated buildings. One new secondary school will be built in Thanh Hoa in 2006. The schools are located in the central provinces of Thua-Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Quang Binh, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Thanh Hoa Provinces. One school is located in a remote commune of Ha Giang Province. An additional primary school is being planned in Binh Dinh Province and will be built in 2006.

The new buildings consist of two stories (in case of floods) and normally contain 6-8 classrooms according to Ministry of Education design. These are needed to increase classroom capacity for a growing student population, particularly at the secondary level.

A total of 7 irrigation projects have been carried out in Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Quang Nam and Thanh Hoa Provinces. These consist of the construction of small dams and concrete irrigation canals 2-3 km long to increase the productivity of the local commune.

The irrigation canals normally increase the number of harvests from 2 to 3 per year thus providing an increase in productivity and revenue of approximately 30 percent for the inhabitants of the commune. Three more irrigation canals are being built in Thanh Hoa Province in 2006.

In the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, where water is often inaccessible, especially during the dry season, two projects have been carried out to build concrete water containers and filtration systems to improve the quality of and access to drinking water in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. In the central provinces of Thua-Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Tri and Quang Binh where existing water supplies are either polluted or have been contaminated by sea water, the programme has financed the construction of new wells or, in some cases, has connected villages to the provincial water supply system.

In the southern province of Bac Lieu, three drinking water projects have been implented in villages where local water supplies have been contaminated by sea-water. In Thanh Hoa Province a new drinking water system is being established in 2006 for an isolated commune which had to be relocated due to the natural diversion of a river.

Three projects have financed the construction or upgrading of rural roads in Lai Chau, Yen Bai and Thua-Thien Hue to provide easier access to schools and markets for the inhabitants of isolated communities. These projects consist of upgrading existing roads, normally 8 to 12 kms long, which have become almost impassible.

The upgrading permits easier access by vehicles rather than just pedestrians or bicycles. This in turn can have a significant effect on the development of the commune's economy.

Four bridges swept away by floods in the central provinces of Quang Ngai and Quang Tri were constructed under this programme. In Tra Vinh, Soc Trang and Bac Lieu 7 bridges were built in 2003 to provide easier transportation and access for isolated communities located along the Mekong River. The bridges are made of concrete, are 40 to 60m long, and normally have a capacity of 5 to 8 tons.

An additional bridge is being built in Tra Vinh in 2006. These projects benefit hundreds of persons per day. They also make it easier for students going to school. In many cases the government has built new access roads to link up to the bridges.

The construction of one health clinic was completed in 2005 in Thua-Thien Hue Province. Two additional health clinics are under construction in 2006 in isolated communes in Tra Vinh Province.

The project will cover construction costs while the Ministry of Health will provide medical equipment and staff.

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