On January 1, 2004 Dien Bien was separated  as an independent province from Lai Chau. Dien Bien forms the mountainous  border between northwestern Vietnam  and Laos.  Dien Bien  Province has several borders: Lai Chau  province borders Dien Bien in the north; Son La province in the east; China (Van Nam Province) in the northwest; Laos  (Luong Pha Bang and Phong Xa Ly Provinces) in the southwest. Dien Bien has a  provincial city, a town and six districts. They are Dien  Bien City  (located in Muong Thanh Valley);  Muong Lay Town;  Dien Bien District, Dien Bien Dong District, Tuan Giao District, Tua Chua  District, Muong Cha District, Muong Nhe District.

Dien Bien has mountain ranges and valleys  marked with small rivers and streams. Dien Bien has two seasons: dry season  (November – March) and rainy season (April – October).The wettest part of the  year is from June to August. December and January are the driest months. Yearly  average temperature is 21- 23 C; average rain quantity is 1,700 – 2,500 mm;  average humidity is 83 – 85%.

There are  several reasons why Chị Em targets certain villages in Dien Bien. Marginalized  from NGO and state support, the chosen villages lack capital, market diversity,  and attention. Chị Em strives to create access and to connect the people of our  target villages to business innovation, international investors, and social  entrepreneurs. The basis of our involvement is a conviction that marginalized  communities are worth investing in and that the people of these communities,  through support and cooperation, can succeed.