The story of Ma Dao village

Ma Dao village, bordering Dat Bang commune (Krong Pa district, Gia Lai province), is the furthest village in Ca Lui commune. It was once classified as a poor village, but is now developing. Currently, the village is 7km from the center of Ca Lui commune, 35km from the center of Son Hoa district, and over 80km from the center of Tuy Hoa city via DT643 and National Highway 19.

The villagers of Ma Dao hamlet are overjoyed in their new, spacious single-story house. Photo: HOANG HA THE

Ma Dao village currently has 69 households with 352 people, of which the Cham ethnic group accounts for 98%. The appearance of Ma Dao village is gradually improving thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, along with the unity and efforts in labor and production of the people.

The hard times are over.

Sharing his thoughts with village elder Kpă Phắt, he said: “Ma Đao is the last village in the west of Cà Lúi commune, bordering Đất Bằng commune, Krông Pa district, Gia Lai province, separated by Chư Prông mountain. Ma Đao village has existed since ancient times, with only about 10 households. Ma Đao is the name of the first person to cultivate this land.”

According to village elder Kpă Phắt, by 1980, the village had about 30 households, all poor, with houses made of bamboo or rattan, and thatched roofs. The lives of the people mainly depended on logging, cassava cultivation, and upland rice farming, which were dependent on the weather and therefore precarious...

As a remote and disadvantaged village, Ma Dao is gradually developing. Within the village, there is the K'Bong (Ka Bung) rice field with 14 out of 50 hectares of double-cropping rice ready for harvest, as well as vast areas of high-yield sugarcane and lush short-term industrial crops. Village elder Kpa Phat shared: “In the past, persuading villagers to cultivate rice, grow cassava and sugarcane, and raise hybrid cattle was not easy. The people were accustomed to traditional farming and livestock raising methods. Now, the people understand and know how to apply science and technology to farming and livestock raising. Before 2000, transportation for the people of Ma Dao was difficult due to the lack of solid roads. Now, thanks to the support of many national target programs, inter-village and inter-commune roads have been upgraded and expanded, connecting Ma Dao with the center of Ca Lui commune and surrounding areas.”

Ma Dao village is very peaceful and orderly. The people always strictly adhere to the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws, eliminating outdated customs, and living in unity, frugality, and civility.

Deputy Village Head Ma Dao Y Tu

Today, Ma Dao village boasts smooth concrete roads and spacious, modern stilt houses, interspersed with traditional houses with corrugated iron or bright red tile roofs. State-funded infrastructure such as electricity, roads, schools, and cultural centers have significantly transformed the village's appearance. According to Mr. Nay Y Thich, Party Secretary and Head of Ma Dao village, poverty has been eradicated. The state-funded projects have proven very effective, encouraging villagers to invest in farming and livestock raising to increase their income and develop their household economies .

Improving the quality of life

Welcoming us into his spacious single-story house, Rơ Chăm Y Tứ, Deputy Head of Ma Đao village, excitedly shared: "Before, the people of Ma Đao didn't have televisions, telephones, or motorbikes, but now they have everything. Our daily meals are no longer just rice mixed with other grains and cassava leaf soup, but are now nutritious meals like those in the lowlands. The entire village currently has 32 hectares of sugarcane, rice, and cassava; the total livestock and poultry population is over 1,000 animals, including 250 cows (55 of which are hybrid cows)."

Through discussions with Y Tu, it was learned that the village of Ma Dao acquired its rice paddies thanks to the government's investment in building an electric pumping station (December 2006) to draw water from the Ca Lui River to serve the villagers' rice cultivation. The Son Hoa District People's Committee also sent agricultural officials to provide guidance on land preparation, seed germination, sowing, and rice cultivation techniques. In the 2007 harvest season, the villagers of Ma Dao had a bumper crop. Since then, they have continued to cultivate the rice paddies at the foot of Chu Prong mountain, covering an area of ​​over 14 hectares.

Nay Mướp, from Ma Đao village, who cultivates 2.6 acres of rice in the KBông field, expressed her joy: “Water is pumped right to the rice paddies, allowing us to expand our rice cultivation area. The people here are very grateful for the government's investment.” Meanwhile, Mr. Ma Khuy (Oi Mi) confided: “For the 2025 sugarcane crop, all the sugarcane farmers here are excited because the price is good. My family planted 4 hectares of sugarcane, and after deducting expenses, we earned 50 million VND per hectare.”

Deputy Head of Ma Dao Village, Y Tu, also boasted that Ma Dao village is very peaceful and orderly. The people always strictly adhere to the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, eliminate outdated customs, and live in unity, frugality, and civility… Meanwhile, Mr. Ra Lan Thu, Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Lui Commune, shared: "The lives of the people of Ma Dao are as they are today thanks to the attention of the Party and the State."

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/xa-hoi/202506/chuyen-o-thon-ma-dao-1273593/