SUSTAINABILITY AMONG THE CLOUDS
Tinh is 20 years old and works as a kitchen assistant at the Danish Vietnamese mountain resort, Topas Ecolodge. She is born in the village of Thanh Phu in the Sapa Valley, where her family still lives. Even though her work means that they are apart, her family have always supported her wish to live and work at Topas Ecolodge. “Naturally I miss my family and want to be with them, but they understand that working at the resort is a great opportunity for me,” Tinh says.
Before Tinh was hired, she attended school, “but I was bored and didn’t feel that I learned anything.” Tinh says impatiently. Outside of school Tinh supported her family by working in the rice fields. “Now, working at Topas Ecolodge I am still able to support my family while at the same time learning about tourism and service. In concrete terms I learn about how to cook on a large scale and how to insure hygienic standards.” Topas Ecolodge also offers English training and encourages the entire staff to sign up.
Replying the question, if she has learned anything to pass on to her family, Tinh says, “the first time I visited my family I taught my younger cousins how to sort trash and recycle whatever possible. Also I told them about the rules one must subject to when working for a company – working hours for instance. We have made working schedules and take turns for the night shift.”
Even though the pace of development is slow in the region, it is evident that the world is changing. Tinh and her family are aware that the future will bring completely new possibilities to their lives and Tinh’s work at Topas Ecolodge is a sustainable step in the right direction. As tourism in the Sapa Valley is catching up, the prospects of stabile incomes are promising. “This is an opportunity for me to get into the tourism business and my family supports me. The neighbouring village also finds the work at the lodge attractive and many have already sent applications.”
Facts on Topas Ecolodge
Topas Ecolodge is a Danish Vietnamese joint venture located in the Sapa Valley in the mountainous northern part of Vietnam. The majority of the population living in the region is ethnic minorities as opposed to the Khin-people, who compose 90% of Vietnam’s population. Schools exist, but children only attend for a few years, as their family require their labour in the rice fields. The few companies that operate in the region are family-run and rarely create jobs for outsides. Topas Ecolodge is a small resort founded on the principles of sustainability. This means light and heat in the 25 bungalows is generated by solar power and 50% of the staff is local ethnic minorities.
Source: Embassy of Denmark, Vietnam
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