“When partnerships uplift ethnic minority women (EMW) in Lao Cai, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) flourish, clean growth accelerates, communities gain strength, and prosperity becomes a future shaped by all.”
Breaking Barriers: Dao’s Early Life
Dao, a young Dao ethnic woman, was born into a farming family in what is now Lao Cai province. Girls in her community were often expected to marry by 15 or 16, with few opportunities for education or social participation.
Her life began to change when she was nominated to attend an Intermediate Vocational Diploma in agriculture through the Lao Cai Cooperative Alliance, giving her the tools to pursue a bigger vision – Equipped with new knowledge, she and several others went on to establish Lung Lo Cooperative, specializing in the cultivation and processing of medicinal herbs.
A Turning Point with the SPRINT Project
In November 2024, Dao was trained by the Cowater-implemented SMEs Promote Resilience, Inclusion and Innovative Transformation (SPRINT) project, and received guidance in:
- Cooperative management
- Climate-resilient agriculture and good agricultural practices
- Clean and renewable energy
- Cost-saving and environmentally friendly production
- Market linkage and women’s economic empowerment
“Before, I really didn’t know what clean growth was. I didn’t understand what renewable energy meant either. All I knew was working hard every day. I was also very shy… I was afraid to speak in front of people”, Dao shared.
By early 2025, Dao was promoted to Deputy Director of Lung Lo Cooperative, leading the only EMW-focused cooperative in the area.
Innovation for Clean Growth
Under Dao’s leadership, Lung Lo Cooperative applied for the SPRINT Innovation for Clean Growth Challenge Fund, receiving a grant to:
- Replace diesel generators with solar power, reducing 40–50 tons of CO₂/year
- Cut coal and fuel use, saving 50 tons of CO₂/year
- Expand medicinal plant cultivation by 10 hectares
- Reduce product loss by 20–30% and increase revenue by 30–50%
- Expand from 14 to 25 linked households
- Support 10 indirectly linked cooperatives, benefiting at least 1,000 ethnic minority women
A Reunion Full of Pride
On January 27, 2026, Dao returned to SPRINT’s Year-4 planning consultation. Dressed in her traditional Dao attire, she walked confidently toward the team and shared exciting news:
“Sister, I have been nominated by the local authorities as a candidate for the Provincial People’s Council!”
Dao’s journey from farm girl to cooperative leader and political candidate is a testament to how the SPRINT project empowers ethnic minority women, strengthens SMEs, and promotes sustainable, clean growth in the Indo-Pacific.
About SPRINT
The SMEs Promote Resilience, Inclusion and Innovation Transformation (SPRINT) Project, funded by Global Affairs Canada, aims to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of Ethnic Minority Women (EMW) working in the agriculture sector in Yen Bai, including through the promotion of clean growth. This will be achieved through a series of interventions designed to strengthen the performance of EMW-focused MSMEs, cooperatives, and producer groups in select value chains by responding to critical skills and knowledge gaps, and incentivizing innovation and adoption of Renewable Energy (RE), clean energy & Energy Efficient (EE) solutions among EMW-focused businesses.
To learn more about SPRINT visit, cowater.com/SPRINT
