Fish sauce is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented oily fish such as anchovies, mackerel and sardines, it is widely used as a seasoning for cooking and a base in dipping sauces. AIC volunteers in Phan Thiết, a coastal city in southern Vietnam, have recently teamed up with a local fish sauce producer to help with production, distribute fish sauce to their beneficiaries, and raise funds for their activities.
The project came about in September 2023, when an AIC volunteer in Phan Thiết City met a producer struggling to sell her fish sauce products. The volunteer offered the AIC group’s help and a partnership began. Local fishermen provide fresh fish and sea salt, and 30 AIC volunteers help with the production process. In a large production facility next to the Thanh Hai Parish, they help clean the fish, layer them in airtight containers, monitor fermentation, and bottle the sauce once it is ready. Some volunteers are also involved in decision-making concerning marketing, sales and financial management.
The production is sold to AIC Vietnam’s 50 volunteer groups, who then resell them to raise funds or distribute them directly to beneficiaries. During the first year of production, over 4000 bottles of fish sauce were thus sold or distributed by AIC Vietnam. Volunteers work closely with the Daughters of Charity and the Vincentian Fathers, who support them and accompany them to gatherings in other cities where they introduce the fish sauce to fellow AIC groups.
Production process and volunteers tasting the final product
Local fishermen benefit from the AIC Phan Thiết volunteers’ project, as well as about 900 women and 1200 children from ethnic minority groups, and 50 people with leprosy in Kon Tum City and Pro’h. In these regions, people with leprosy are often marginalized and experience poverty due to limited access to healthcare, employment opportunities, and a lack of social acceptance. Some AIC volunteers themselves have difficulties making ends meet, and the sale of fish sauce therefore allows the AIC Phan Thiết group to also help its own team members and their families.
Fundraising helps to support AIC Vietnam’s activities, which include distributing basic necessities to beneficiaries, such as food, clothing, soap, medication and wheelchairs for people with disabilities. Other fundraising projects in Vietnam include producing wine from vineyards owned by AIC volunteers in Phan Rang, making fabric shopping bags and dishwashing liquid in Cu Sue, and creating embroidered scarves made by AIC Vietnam Youth.
Food distributions in Ðắk Lắk province, southern Vietnam
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