On 1 and 3 November 2026, the SODI-A Luoi Project organized three training and sharing sessions on collecting indigenous knowledge stories in A Luoi 1, A Luoi 2 and A Luoi 3 communes. The sessions brought together 30 women participants, more than 87% of whom were Pa Co and Co Tu ethnic minority women.

These sessions marked the launch of the Indigenous Knowledge Handbook Development Activity, which will be implemented from 2025 to 2029. Through this activity, ethnic minority women play a leading role in collecting, documenting, and preserving the knowledge, stories, and cultural values of their own communities.

Supported by a literature and culture expert, participants explored six key topics:
• Understanding indigenous knowledge and its significance;
• Identifying knowledgeable and respected community members;
• Developing skills in interviewing and eliciting cultural stories;
• Documenting stories through note-taking, audio recording and photography;
• Practicing interview role-plays and addressing real-life situations; and
• Planning data collection in the three communes and committing to an action plan for 2026.

The stories collected through this process will be compiled and published in a handbook to help preserve and promote A Luoi’s rich indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage. The activity also strengthens the capacity of ethnic minority women to collect and document community stories while contributing to the integration of indigenous knowledge into sustainable community-based tourism development.

Enabling women to lead the preservation and transmission of indigenous knowledge is a guiding principle of the SODI-A Luoi Project. By placing women at the centre of this effort, the project seeks to ensure that knowledge is preserved through the voices of community members themselves and passed on to future generations.

This activity is part of the Sustainable Livelihoods and Indigenous Knowledge Preservation Component of the SODI-A Luoi Project(2025 – 2029) titled “Socio-Ecological Transformation for Ethnic Minority Women through Creating Sustainable Livelihoods in A Luoi”. The project is funded by SODI (Solidaritätsdienst-international e.V.) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). VUFO Hue is the lead implementing agency, and CKC is a key implementation partner for the Environmental Awareness, Sustainable Livelihoods and Indigenous Knowledge Preservation, and Communication Components.

All images below were taken with the consent of participants. Please contact VUFO Hue before using these images for any purpose other than for the Project’s official communications.