One October afternoon in 2022, nearly 30 female workers employed at Nobland garment factory in Ho Chi Minh City gathered at a local café in District 12, for a meeting organized by CARE. Some of these women had previously participated in CARE’s “I am Strong” program, while others had received financial support for their small businesses from CARE after the COVID-19 pandemic. There were also newcomers who had joined at the invitation of their fellow sewing line colleagues.
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– shared Tham.
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For our first session, I suggested naming our group ‘Connecting Trust’ and everyone in the group agreed. We all stood together in the shape of a ship, with me as the sail, and together, we launched the Connecting Trust ship,”
– reminisced Tham.
From that moment on, this space became known as the Connecting Trust group.
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– Thao recalled.
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– recounted Kim Phuong, 32 years old. Fortunately, the positive spirit and encouragement from colleagues persuaded Kim Phuong to stay committed to the group.
A typical group meeting would commence with reflections on what they had learned and the journey they had undertaken. Subsequent activities varied depending on the content and the needs of the participants. Sometimes, they would read a story for collective contemplation, while other times, they engaged in team-building games to relieve stress after discussions. Most frequently, they held discussions and shared opinions on the issues that needed resolution within the company. In these sessions, the women were divided into discussion groups and presented their solutions, sometimes they even role-played scenarios. Many of these women, who had previously only come to work silently until end of day, were now encouraged to voice their perspectives.
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In March 2023, the Connecting Trust group organized a direct dialogue session with the factory’s board of directors. For many of the women, this dialogue was the most memorable “first time.” It marked the first occasion in their lives when they stood up to express not only their personal views but also those of many other women. Kim Phuong vividly recalled:
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After the dialogue, the women joined hands to prepare for another significant event – Family Day. This activity was one of the initiatives proposed during the dialogue. The idea was to organize a Family Day for the children of Nobland factory workers, where families could share a joyful and bonding experience, interact with each other, strengthen the connection among family members, and provide an opportunity for the women to introduce their workplace to their families.
The Family Day event was a resounding success. Initially, they expected around 200 participants, but the actual turnout exceeded 400 people!
What was even more special was the factory’s leadership attending and acknowledging the achievements of the women.
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– Mr. Le Phuong Nam, Head of the CSR Department at the company, shared his thoughts.
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After their initiatives, dialogue programs, and the Family Day event, the women returned to their daily lives, but with a difference. Instead of arguments and scolding their children, the members of the Connecting Trust group had learned to listen, engage in dialogue, and improve their home lives. The sense of equality within the group and within the factory had now permeated their families, where members listened to each other, shared their experiences, and made decisions together, supported not just by their fellow workers but by their loved ones as well.
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– asserted Minh Thuan.
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Gradually, the successful initiatives and programs of the Connecting Trust group attracted more women to join. People joined because they saw the value that the group brought. The months spent in the group nurtured the women’s confidence in themselves. They began to believe that they could speak up and create changes.
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– said Minh Thuan.
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Beyond the Line:
Connecting Trust