May 13:ACDI/VOCA

Today was a great day, despite the abrupt onset of monsoon season made its presence clear today, as it poured more than a few times today. After going to Vietnamese Language class, we returned to the hotel to get ready for our company visit to ACDI/VOCA and Success Alliance. After a walk through the steamy rain, we sat through a presentation by the folks at ACDI/VOCA. Essentially, ACDI/VOCA is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) that through the help of the U.S. government and other donors helps purchase and plant cacao farms throughout mostly southern Vietnam. ACDI/VOCA also hires and trains farmers how to farm, harvest, process, and dry Cacao beans and helps them get the beans sold as product. This program is helping many people support both themselves or their families and communities by allowing them to have space to grow crops that they otherwise may not have had. Tomorrow, we will go to the Cacao plantation in the Mekong Delta in order to see how the Cacao is harvested, dried, and processed.