The Poor Man Becomes Rich

- Your name really impressed us, and even more impressive is how you and your family have risen above your circumstances through willpower and determination. That's the household of Mr. Nguyen Van Ngheo, Suoi Ma village, Quan Son commune.

Poor man takes care of his family's white horse.

Born in 1976 into a farming family, Mr. Nghèo remembers his childhood and youth as a time of hardship with his family.

Mr. Nghèo recalled: "I was the eldest son in the family, so I took on many family responsibilities early on. In February 1996, my mother passed away, and my younger brother was only 10 months old. I was already married at the time, and my child was only 19 days old. With my mother gone so early, my brother still young, and my child less than a month old, our circumstances were extremely difficult."

"While simultaneously taking care of my wife, children, younger brother, and managing household chores amidst countless difficulties, I only had one thought at that time: the health of my family members was the greatest motivation for me to overcome everything," Mr. Nghèo shared.

He struggled to balance caring for his family with finding ways to develop the family's economy . His family's farming background and lack of capital were his biggest obstacles. He recounted: "Initially, my family's economy relied solely on corn farming, which yielded low returns. Determined to improve my situation, I spent time researching and learning about economic models from households in many villages within and outside the commune. After that, I boldly shifted my focus to horse breeding."

To raise capital, in 2004, Mr. Nghèo borrowed 5 million VND from the bank to buy a breeding horse (colored horse) to raise. Taking advantage of the readily available agricultural by-products as feed, his family's horse breeding business gradually developed, helping him to generate revolving capital to expand into other models such as raising goats, buffaloes, and planting forests, bringing in significant income. Thanks to this, in 2013, Mr. Nghèo's family escaped poverty.

In 2015, his family bought a pair of white horses for 48 million VND. Mr. Nghèo shared: Compared to traditional livestock like pigs, chickens, and buffaloes, white horses have many superior advantages and are significantly more economically valuable than colored horses. This breed is easy to raise, adapts well to local climate conditions, grows quickly, requires low care costs, and is less susceptible to disease.

Thanks to the application of science and technology in animal husbandry, his family's horse herd is always healthy and thriving, providing the family with a stable and steadily increasing income. For many years, Mr. Ngheo's family has been one of the households maintaining the largest number of white horses in Quan Son commune (currently, the family has 12 white horses, including 10 breeding horses and 2 breeding horses). From selling horses and buffaloes, plus additional income from other sources, in 2020 he built a solid and spacious house with a total cost of over 400 million VND.

In addition, for many years, Mr. Ngheo's family has maintained pig farming and liquor production to serve the needs of people in and outside the locality; at the same time, they have expanded their forest planting area. Currently, his family owns about 7 hectares of eucalyptus trees, of which over 1 hectare is already being harvested. When asked about his family's income, Mr. Ngheo modestly said: "Every year, my family earns nearly 100 million VND from pig farming, selling foals, and making liquor; besides that, our family's 'capital' is the herd of white horses and the forest."

According to our research, Mr. and Mrs. Nghèo have three well-behaved children who are now adults. For many years, their family has consistently received the title of "Culturally Exemplary Family." Notably, in 2025, their family was awarded a certificate of merit by the Chairman of the People's Committee of Quan Sơn Commune for achieving the title of "Outstanding Culturally Exemplary Family."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuyen, Party Secretary and Head of Suoi Ma village, Quan Son commune, commented: "Mr. Ngheo is a shining example of perseverance in overcoming difficulties and is now one of the exemplary households in economic development and a model cultural family not only in the village but also in Quan Son commune. In his relationships with his neighbors, his family is always harmonious, actively participating in emulation movements and common activities in the village and commune, earning the trust and affection of everyone."

Bidding farewell to Mr. Nghèo in his spacious family home, we were impressed by his heartfelt words: "It's hard to recount all the difficult years my wife and I went through. Now life is better, but the memories of those hard times always remind me to keep striving. I always tell my children and the younger generation to work hard to overcome adversity and have a better life."

Source: https://baolangson.vn/anh-ngheo-no-luc-lam-giau-5073114.html