Prosperity under the canopy of Cat Tien forest

For generations, the ethnic minority people in Hamlet 3, Cat Tien 2 Commune, have always been loyal to the Party and the State, actively engaging in production and preserving the beautiful cultural traditions of their ethnic groups. Leaving behind their nomadic lifestyle, they have now built a prosperous life in a model residential area under the canopy of Cat Tien National Park.

The people of Hamlet 3, Cat Tien 2 Commune, are enjoying a prosperous life, with changes happening every day.

Village 3 has 46 households and 190 inhabitants (mostly S'tieng people) living in the core area of ​​Cat Tien National Park. Previously, the villagers lived a nomadic lifestyle; since 1994, with the support of the Party and State, they have gradually settled down and prospered. Thanks to active economic development, the village now has no poor households, and most are well-off and prosperous.

Village 3 has a total natural area of ​​over 1,654 hectares, of which agricultural land accounts for 8.77% and forest land accounts for over 81.74%. Currently, the main crop of the village is cashew trees; some old, low-yielding areas have been converted to planting durian, grafted cashews, and coffee. In addition, each household is contracted to manage approximately 30 hectares of forest, providing income to cover daily living expenses.

According to the locals, they used to live off upland rice cultivation; they toiled tirelessly clearing, hoeing, and burning the land, yet their stomachs were never full. Since the Party, the State, and the local government implemented the policy of settled farming, the people here have abandoned the pole used to poke holes for planting upland rice seeds, using hoes and plows to reclaim land for planting industrial crops, fruit trees, food crops, and vegetables.

Many families have now achieved a comfortable life thanks to cashew and durian cultivation, such as the families of Dieu K'Mot, Dieu K'Do, and Dieu K'Nan. Mr. Dieu K'Do shared that life is gradually changing for the better every day; the village in the middle of the forest now has electricity, roads, schools, and a health station; and food is no longer a worry.

According to Dieu K'Vien, Secretary of the Party Branch of Hamlet 3: Recognizing the strengths of Hamlet 3 in agricultural and forestry production, the hamlet's officials have actively coordinated with the hamlet's branches and organizations to promote propaganda, assign responsibilities to each member of the Party committee, officials, and Party members in charge, and closely monitor the grassroots to help and guide the people in changing the structure of crops and livestock; converting low-economic-efficiency crops to high-economic-efficiency crops such as durian, grafted cashew, and coffee.

To date, there are no longer any poor households in Hamlet 3, only one near-poor household receiving social welfare benefits, no households experiencing hunger, and no more temporary housing; the average per capita income in 2024 reached 65 million VND/person/year; the material and spiritual lives of the people are increasingly improving and stabilizing.

Village officials and residents have implemented several practical models for the community, most notably the "Flag-lined Road" model, the "Bright, Green, Clean, and Beautiful Village Road" model, the "Garbage-Free Road" model, and the "Implementing Civilized Lifestyles in Weddings and Funerals" model. They have also mobilized 100% of households in the village to register for the "Building Culturally Advanced Families" campaign; propagated and encouraged residents to eliminate outdated customs of the Ma and S'tieng ethnic groups in funerals and weddings; and prevented situations of exorbitant dowry demands, excessive demands for gifts, and prolonged funeral ceremonies.

Thanks to the timely intervention and decisive action of the Party branch, the People's Committee of the village, and the people, there are now no more cases of child marriage or consanguineous marriage in the village, and no more outdated customs. Annually, the percentage of households achieving the "Cultural Family" status is over 96%, and the percentage of households displaying the national flag and portraits of President Ho Chi Minh reaches 100%. In 2024, Village 3 was recognized as a Model Residential Area. Visiting Village 3 today, one finds a prosperous life under the forest canopy, with well-built houses; and bright, green, clean, and beautiful village roads.

According to the People's Committee of Cat Tien 2 commune, the households in Hamlet 3, located in the core area of ​​Cat Tien National Park, now have a stable life. The people are actively engaged in production, and there are currently no poor households in the hamlet. Some households have seized market opportunities and planted grafted cashew trees and durian, bringing in significant income.

Duc Tu

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/am-no-duoi-tan-rung-cat-tien-381266.html