About us
Social projects
As a social enterprise, Chie commits to its responsibility towards the community through projects funded by part of the business's profits.
Project 01
Training projects
In 2008, Thuy Chie joined the JICA project, a Japanese programme to improve the sewing skills of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. When the project ended, she decided to keep supporting upland communities to develop products and find outlets for their handicrafts.
She has spent more than 12 years working with groups of artisans and cooperatives of Lao people in Na Sang (Dien Bien), Thai people in Mai Chau, and many other localities in the Central region and Central Highlands.
Every year, Chie organises training courses to improve skills, develop ideas for new products and teach colour mixing. Thuy also spends a lot of time living in the villages to learn and practise traditional weaving and dyeing techniques that were being lost.
The aim is to build the capacity of local people so they have sustainable livelihoods based on their own cultural values, and to empower minority women.
Training & courses
Chie's training courses
- 2008JICA projectThuy joined the "Northwest rural industry promotion" project, improving the sewing skills of ethnic minority artisans.
- Every yearSkills workshopsSkills training, new product ideas and colour-mixing guidance for artisan groups and cooperatives.
- Central region & HighlandsBrocade weaving networkDesign advice and colour-mixing training for Ede, Co Tu, Ma and Ba Na women (a network coordinated by FIDR; Thuy worked as an independent consultant).
- Xom Sung, Da BacWith the ESDS fundWith the Australian alumni fund ESDS, sewing classes plus sewing machines and materials for the Dao Tien brocade group.
- ASEAN WISEChieng Chau CooperativeA course on sewing skills and garment design for the people of Chieng Chau Cooperative, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.
- 2022Pa Co, Moc ChauChie officially opened a brocade sewing course for the Pa Co H'mong brocade group (A Hiep Cooperative), Son La.
- 2022 – 2023Mai Chau workshopA sewing workshop giving stable jobs to Thai women; at the end of 2023 it grew to 1,000 m² with 110 Thai women working there.
Project 02
Projects for social enterprises
After more than a decade of working with local people to develop traditional weaving, in 2021 Chie was honoured to be one of twenty businesses in Southeast Asia, and the only one from Vietnam, in the ASEAN WISE Fellowship network, a programme for women-led social enterprises in the creative economy.
Within the programme, Chie was granted funding for community projects. Chie organised a course on sewing skills and garment design for the people of Chieng Chau Cooperative, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. Sewing completes the whole production process of a local craft cooperative.
After the course, the artisans have the knowledge and ability to make high-quality, finely finished handmade products with delicate designs that are easy to use in daily life, which raises the economic value of each product.
Chie keeps learning and expanding its network so ethnic minority communities have more sustainable livelihoods, creating positive impact, attracting sponsorship and building its own capital to keep developing other meaningful projects.
Walk alongside our artisans
If your organisation or company would like to run a training project with us, please get in touch.