Orphaned boy earns hundreds of millions of dong growing tomatoes on the hills of Mu Cang Chai

Hard childhood

In the typical cold of the Mu Cang Chai highlands, I had the opportunity to visit Giang A Giong’s tomato farm. While the morning mist still covered the beds, Giong was busy sowing seeds for the new crop. “To expand the model and intercrop, I rented this additional piece of land at the beginning of this year,” he said with a smile.

Few people know that behind that smile is a difficult childhood. Giong's mother died when his younger brother Giong was only three days old. At that time, Giong's older brother was only 4 years old. Unable to bear the burden of raising a child alone, the father sent his youngest brother to be adopted. When Giong was in 5th grade, his father also passed away. From then on, Giong went to school and worked for a living.

In secondary school, Giong was transferred to the Yen Bai Province Special Needs Children Care Center (SOS School). After finishing grade 9, he returned to Mu Cang Chai to attend high school. One day while going to the market, he accidentally met a couple who butchered pigs and sold meat and was adopted by them. He helped his adoptive parents sell goods while finishing grade 12.

Mr. Giang A Chong grows tomatoes on the new land.

After graduating, he asked his adoptive parents for a loan to open his own butcher shop. With a stable business, he saved up to buy land, get married and open another internet cafe to increase his income. However, the internet cafe business did not last long as smartphones became more popular and the number of customers gradually decreased. “Seeing many people from the lowlands renting land to grow roses, I thought that even if they live far away, why don’t I try?”, Mr. Giong shared.

In 2023, he rented nearly 5,000 square meters of land in Nam Khat commune to grow roses following the model of some households in the area. However, due to lack of experience and insufficient capital to invest in fertilizer, the flower garden developed poorly and the quality was not up to standard. “I failed and had to sell my house for about 200 million VND to pay off the debt,” Giong recalled.

Starting a tomato business with a loan through the Youth Union

Despite being left penniless, Giong was not discouraged. When his friends in Ngoc Chien commune (Muong La district, Son La province) introduced him to a cherry tomato variety that was suitable for the local climate and had high income potential, he decided to start over.

Through the introduction of the Commune Youth Union, Mr. Giang A Giong was able to access a loan of 200 million VND from the Social Policy Bank. He used the entire amount to invest in seeds and fertilizers, renovate the old land, and plant cherry tomatoes imported from Hanoi and neighboring provinces.

At first, he often went to Ngoc Chien commune to learn techniques. According to Mr. Giong, fertilization is very important, especially when the plants are still weak. In addition, tomatoes grown in highland areas need to be kept warm and covered with nylon tarps to avoid wind and dew. In return, the cold climate helps the plants to have fewer pests and grow well.

The cherry tomato model helps an orphan boy in Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province earn over 300 million VND/year.

During the care process, he only sprays pesticides when absolutely necessary, giving priority to letting the plants grow naturally. “When the provincial leaders visited, I was ready to pick the fruit to eat right in the garden because the tomatoes were clean and no pesticides were used,” he said.

Although the lowland tomato variety is usually grown only once a year, he still tried a second crop without improving the soil. The yield was still high. After a year, he earned more than 300 million VND, both to pay off his debt and to have capital to expand. He is currently renting an additional 2,000 m2 to grow tomatoes intercropped year-round.

Many households in the commune have come to learn from his model. Since the beginning of 2025, 5 people have learned and followed his model, and 2 households have started to switch from rice to tomato cultivation. "I am willing to share so that people can develop together," said Mr. Giong.

Mr. Ly A Nha - Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of Nam Khat commune, Mu Cang Chai district said that thanks to the tomato model, Mr. Giong was awarded a certificate of merit by the Policy Bank for effective use of loan capital and a certificate of merit for outstanding youth of the Youth Union of Nam Khat commune. "Mr. Giang A Giong's tomato model is one of the first models in the commune that many people have learned from," Mr. Nha shared.

Success

Source: https://tienphong.vn/chang-trai-mo-coi-kiem-hang-tram-trieu-dong-nho-trong-ca-chua-tren-nui-doi-mu-cang-chai-post1742598.tpo