The goal is sustainable poverty reduction.

Originally a disadvantaged area after the merger of four communes, Son Luong is now undergoing significant transformation. People are no longer dependent but view livestock and loans from the National Target Program as a "fishing rod" to realize their dream of escaping poverty. The goal of reducing 209 poor households by 2025 is not just a number, but a call to action from the heart of the entire political system.

In the final days of the year, Vang Ngan village – one of the particularly disadvantaged villages in Son Luong commune – becomes bustling with a sense of urgent work. This atmosphere doesn't stem from festivals, but from the spirit of "mobilizing" to prepare barns to welcome the herd of breeding cattle provided by the State.

Mr. Trieu Van Tho, head of Vang Ngan village, happily stated: “Vang Ngan village has 106 households. In this round, 11 poor and near-poor households received support from the government, each receiving 3 breeding cows, totaling 33 cows. The villagers are very happy, but the village also emphasized that receiving the cows comes with the responsibility of caring for them. Winter is coming, so the villagers must build shelters with tarpaulins, stockpile straw and grass, and build cement floors for the barns so that the herd can be raised healthily.”

We visited the family of Mr. Trieu Trung Hien, a near-poor household that had just received three breeding cows. While quickly reinforcing the windbreak tarp for the newly built cow shed, Mr. Hien emotionally shared: "My family is a near-poor household. For many years, we wanted to develop our economy but lacked capital. Now, with the support of the Party and the State in providing breeding cows, and with the guidance from the commune officials on building the shed and preparing the grass, I am very happy. I promise to take good care of the cows so that the herd will multiply and soon lift my family out of poverty."

Ms. Dang Thi Lai, another poor household in the village, also couldn't hide her joy as she watched the cows grazing in the barn. Ms. Lai shared: "Thank you very much to the Party and the State. Now that I have the livestock, I will try my best to work hard, plant more elephant grass, and take care of the herd."

The story in Vàng Ngần is the clearest example of the innovative approach in Sơn Lương: providing "fishing rods" along with guidance on "fishing techniques". Mr. Giàng A Lứ, Head of the Economic Department of Sơn Lương commune, said that the commune has currently established three livestock farming cooperatives and disbursed funds promptly.

"We don't just hand over the cattle and leave the people to their own devices. Instead, we assign technical staff to closely monitor and guide the farmers from building the barns to caring for the cattle and preventing diseases," Mr. Lu emphasized.

Ms. Dang Thi Lai, from Vang Ngan village, is taking care of the herd of cows that she recently received as assistance.

While cattle farming is a short-term livelihood, the hill and forest economy – especially cinnamon and Shan Tuyet tea – has been identified by Son Luong commune as the "key" to sustainable poverty alleviation.

Mr. Pham Nguyen Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Son Luong commune, proudly stated that the commune currently has nearly 2,000 hectares of cinnamon and over 400 hectares of tea, including 200 hectares of ancient tea trees. "The effectiveness of cinnamon and tea cultivation over the years is undeniable. These are key crops that provide people with a stable income, enabling them to build sturdy houses and purchase modern conveniences," Mr. Binh further affirmed.

In particular, the "Collective Cinnamon Hill" model in Vang Ngan village is a bright spot in the economic development of the hilly forest area. Since 1972, the village has maintained a common land fund for cinnamon cultivation.

According to village head Trieu Van Tho, in the recent harvest season, the village mobilized villagers to collect over 15 tons of cinnamon bark, earning more than 400 million VND.

"We used all this money to build roads, provide support to disadvantaged households, and reinvest in new plantings. We harvested the large trees and planted smaller ones; that's how poverty is pushed back," shared Mr. Trieu Van Tho, head of Vang Ngan village.

In addition, policy credit funds are also pouring heavily into renovating and upgrading houses. Mr. Giang A Lu, Head of the Economic Department of Son Luong commune, further informed that the outstanding loan balance of the Social Policy Bank in the commune has now reached over 102 billion VND. This is a huge resource that helps people build and expand production scale, shifting from self-sufficiency to commodity production.

Speaking to reporters about the crucial final stage of poverty reduction, Mr. Trinh Xuan Thanh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Son Luong commune, expressed his concerns but also his determination: "Poverty reduction in Son Luong is not about chasing after numbers, but about substance. The 'People's Resolution' set by the commune's Party Committee requires cadres and Party members to be exemplary leaders, to lead by example. We assign each member of the Standing Committee and Executive Committee to be responsible for specific villages and groups of households. If a poor household has not yet escaped poverty, the responsible cadre must be held accountable. The biggest change now is not how much money the commune provides, but that the people have learned to be self-respecting about poverty and have aspired to rise above it."

The functional departments of Son Luong commune inspected the construction of livestock shelters for households receiving support for breeding cows.

The decisive actions of the entire political system have been demonstrated by the "telling" figures at the end of the year. While at the beginning of 2025, the commune still had 422 poor households (accounting for 16.61%) and 118 near-poor households (accounting for 4.61%), today, all poverty reduction efforts have yielded tangible results.

According to the review results, it is estimated that by the end of December 2025, Son Luong commune will have completed 100% of its set plan, reducing the number of poor households by 209, bringing the poverty rate down to 8.33%; at the same time, the near-poverty rate will also decrease to 4.41%. This result is the "sweet fruit" of persistently implementing 5 key solution groups, prioritizing the development of agricultural and forestry value chains and resolutely eliminating the mentality of dependence and reliance.

Construction of a bridge over the Can Tao waterfall in Vang Ngan village.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Pham Nguyen Binh commune further emphasized: "To achieve sustainable poverty reduction and prevent re-poverty due to natural disasters, we are guiding people to diversify their livelihoods. We are using short-term gains to support long-term growth, planting cardamom and ginger under the cinnamon forest canopy, and raising native black chickens and pigs. When a family's economy has multiple pillars, storms, strong winds, or price fluctuations will find it difficult to cause them to fall back into poverty."

People in Sung Do village, Son Luong commune, harvest Shan Tuyet tea.

Leaving Son Luong as the afternoon sun gilded the vast cinnamon hills, we believed that, with the unity of "Party's Will - People's Hearts," the challenging goals set by the commune would soon be achieved. The newly built, spacious houses and the healthy herds of cattle in Vang Ngan and Nam Bieu... are joyful signs, herding a prosperous spring spreading across this highland region.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/dich-den-la-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-post888311.html