MUSHROOMS WITH A MISSION

One of RENEW's most innovative programs, thanks to a partnership with the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) of New York City, is the "Mushrooms with a Mission" initiative launched two years ago. Building on a small income-generating project which provided training and inputs to disabled families so they could grow mushrooms, HDI saw the potential for a much expanded effort with significant benefits not only for disabled families but to expand sustainable agricultural production and economic development in Quang Tri Province.

With HDI's help and the cooperation of the government of Quang Tri Province, RENEW has now begun to recruit additional families who will eventually expand to a production base of 1,000 families growing high-quality organic mushrooms, making Quang Tri a leader in mushroom production. The families will generate needed income, they will be guaranteed purchase of their crops because they will be meeting certified standards of quality, and HDI and RENEW will create market demand domestically and possibly for future export.

The Mushrooms with a Mission team has agreed upon the first stages of a marketing strategy, and adopted a brand name which will be registered and trademarked in Vietnam and elsewhere: VAMUS is the brand, which combines elements of mushrooms, Vietnam, and U.S. One day in the future it may be on your supermarket shelf!

Contact person:
Mr. Ngo Thien Loi
Tel: (+84) 53 3858 445 (ext.104) - Mobile: (+84) 913 443 664
E-mail: loirenew@gmail.com

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