There are fifty four ethnicities in Vietnam. The vast majority are the Kinh or Vietnamese people. The other fifty three ethnic tribes live mostly in the mountainous areas throughout Vietnam. The three ethnic tribes living in Quang Ngai province are the Hre, Cor and a small population of Xo-Dang living in Tay Son district.

Tension has existed for centuries between the ethnic people and the Vietnamese people. This tension has been exploited by outside forces for many years in an effort to create uprisings by the ethnic tribes against the Vietnamese government. Ethnic tribes, which they called Montanyards, were trained by the U.S. during the American war in Vietnam to fight against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. Since the end of that war other outside forces, some religious based, have come into the mountains to foment uprisings.

For these reasons communication between foreigners and the ethnic people is severely restricted, especially in the central provinces. It is an important measure of the trust the Quang Ngai Province government has with the Madison Quakers that for the past five years we have been asked by the government to help the Hre and Cor ethnic people.

The programs we have been implementing for the ethnic people these past five years are micro-credit programs. We hope to expand our programs to include digging wells for fresh water, building kindergarten schools, and primary schools.