Ms. Nghe smiled simply when she said, the cows are her savings.

That was the comment of Mr. Dinh Viet Cuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hong Bac Commune (A Luoi) when talking about the couple Mr. Tach and Ms. Nghe in Ra Looc - A Soc village. The journey of the mountainous couple is full of sweat and hard work, but from there, the sweet fruit of prosperity has been formed. Mr. Cuong said that they are the "fire" spreading the spirit of emulation in labor production, making an important contribution to the construction of new rural areas in the locality.

In the cool morning air of the highlands, Ms. Nghe's figure was "lost" behind a herd of cows leisurely grazing. "This cow is for saving. I will sell it when absolutely necessary," she said, her eyes filled with confidence.

Her family’s house was renovated a few years ago with the money from selling two cows. At that time, the old roof could not withstand the monsoon. They saved up, borrowed some more money, and sold two more cows to renovate the house to make it solid and sturdy. The herd now has five cows, the result of a long journey of diligence and hard work.

In addition to raising cows, Ms. Nghe and her husband also cultivate 3 sao of rice, enough to eat through the lean season. 2 hectares of acacia trees are planted in a remote hill area. Although the trees grow slowly due to the poor soil, they are still a long-term savings. "Planting far away and exploiting is difficult, so the price is lower, but we have the effort and strength to not leave the land fallow," Ms. Nghe confided.

The family's cassava fields, some sell for more than ten million, some for a few million, are the results of months of sweating in the fields, exposed to the sun and rain. The money earned is not much, but saved up, it is enough to buy things and cover household expenses.

While Ms. Nghe is busy with farming, taking care of the cows, and taking care of the house, Mr. Tach goes through the forest, wades through streams, collects honey, picks wild bamboo shoots, and carries cajuput trees for hire to increase his income. In the summer, when wild bees make honey under the tree canopy, he packs up and goes to the forest. Each trip usually lasts from 3 to 5 days, sometimes even a week. "Some trips are lucky, collecting 30 to 40 kg of honey, earning nearly ten million VND. But sometimes I come back empty-handed, considering it a training trip," Ms. Nghe smiles simply.

After the honey season, it is the season to pick wild bamboo shoots and wild mushrooms. Each season has its own produce, the forest continues to give its products to those who are willing to work hard. When he is not in the forest, Mr. Tach works as a hired laborer carrying cajuput trees and working around the village. In this frugal way of life, each cow, rice grain, acacia root, cassava root, etc. has helped Mr. Tach and Ms. Nghe's family overcome poverty and have enough to eat and save.

The head of Raloóc - A Sóc village, Mr. Nguyen Van Deo, said that over the years, the locality has effectively implemented poverty reduction policies such as supporting loans, providing seeds and seedlings, and providing guidance on farming techniques suitable to the terrain and customs. However, not everyone knows how to take advantage of and do well like the family of Mr. Tach and Ms. Nghe.

In the highlands, where poverty used to be a “natural” thing, the journey of Mr. Tach and his wife to escape poverty and develop the economy is a bright spot. As long as they are determined to achieve prosperity and work hard, poverty will be pushed back, with diligent hands and a heart that does not accept fate.

Article and photos: Ha Le

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/an-sinh-xa-hoi/chat-chiu-vuon-len-thoat-ngheo-153798.html