The dream of settling down and establishing a stable life.

In early 2021, following the policy of the local Party committee and government of Huong Lap commune ( Quang Tri province) and the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade, households in landslide-prone areas moved to the Trang-Ta Puong resettlement area. Along with them, many other households in particularly difficult circumstances were also prioritized for housing and land for production. The new village, though unfamiliar, felt familiar, as the Van Kieu people now live in familiar stilt houses, in keeping with their local customs and traditions. Within the resettlement area, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade also built a community center with complete cultural facilities and a spacious kindergarten for the people. Wide concrete roads surround the village, clean water from the stream flows directly to the resettlement area, and electricity has been extended to every household, illuminating the border village... Mr. Ho Van Bac (born in 1971) emotionally shared: "Now, we no longer fear landslides, storms, and tornadoes threatening our lives and property; children receive a full education... The lives of the villagers have completely changed since moving to this resettlement area."

The Trang-Ta Puong resettlement area (Huong Lap commune, Quang Tri province) was constructed by the 337th Economic -Defense Brigade.

The Trang-Ta Puong resettlement area (Huong Lap commune) is located right next to the beautiful Ta Puong waterfall. After more than four years of operation, the resettlement area has become a concentrated living space for 35 households of the Van Kieu ethnic minority. Ms. Ho Thi Vieng, Head of the Women's Association of Trang-Ta Puong village, shared that in addition to helping people stabilize their living conditions, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade also improved the land, cultivated rice paddies, provided seedlings, livestock, and agricultural tools; and guided and transferred experience and techniques in animal husbandry and farming to create long-term livelihoods. “The village is increasingly prosperous, and the lives of the people have improved significantly... Thank you to the 337th Brigade for helping the people realize their dream of stable living in sustainable development and for the warm camaraderie between the military and the people in this border region,” Ms. Ho Thi Vieng expressed emotionally.

Ms. Ho Thi Danh and officers of the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade stand beside her new house in the Se Pu resettlement area (Huong Lap commune, Quang Tri province).

About 8km from the Trang-Ta Puong resettlement area is the Se Pu resettlement area (Huong Lap commune), which is being constructed by the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade and is nearing completion. The resettlement area covers 4.2 hectares, situated beside the tranquil and lush Se Pang Hieng river. Ms. Ho Thi Danh, 65 years old, is one of the pioneers who moved to this resettlement area. Previously, her family lived far away in Cu Bai village, near the Vietnam-Laos border, with difficult access and constant risk of natural disasters. With the help of the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade and relatives, Ms. Danh's family has now built a spacious and sturdy house of nearly 80m² with brick walls and a corrugated iron roof (at a total construction cost of over 500 million VND). In addition, her three children (one son and two daughters) also received financial assistance (40 million VND each) to build new houses right next to her current home. “The soldiers helped the villagers build houses, create livelihoods, and allowed me to live and enjoy a happy life with my children and grandchildren. It's truly joyful and fulfilling!” Mrs. Ho Thi Danh confided.

Major Phan Trung Than, Deputy Team Leader of Production Team 3, 52nd Forestry Regiment (337th Economic-Defense Group), reported that the Se Pu resettlement project has so far built houses for 36 households, of which 24 have already moved in. In addition, two schools have been completed and the community center is preparing for construction. To help the people quickly stabilize their lives, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade and the local Party committee and government have invested in building the Se Pu suspension bridge, concrete roads leading to the resettlement area, along with a power grid system, solar-powered streetlights, and water pipelines from streams... “The people are highly supportive and have absolute trust in the soldiers and in the projects and programs that the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade has been implementing. This is also the motivation and confidence for us to continue to successfully complete all tasks, creating momentum for economic development, sustainable poverty reduction, and building a strong foundation of public support in the highland and border areas.”

The Se Pu resettlement area (Huong Lap commune, Quang Tri province) was constructed by the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade.

Speaking with us, Comrade Ho Thi Ven, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Huong Lap commune, said that from 2021 to the present, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade has supported and assisted the locality in completing the construction of three resettlement areas, creating favorable conditions for implementing the policy of relocating people from areas at risk of landslides, and stabilizing the lives of poor and near-poor households in the area. These resettlement areas, with their infrastructure and numerous programs and models to help people develop socio-economic conditions and alleviate poverty, stand amidst the border mountains and forests, becoming a shining example of model residential areas and a peaceful haven for the Van Kieu people. We hope that in the future, the locality will continue to receive more attention and support from the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade so that each project and program implemented will always reflect the strong bond between the military and the people, becoming a driving force to help people escape poverty sustainably.

The Se Pu suspension bridge was built by the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade.

Sow the seeds of abundant harvests.

Stationed and operating across a vast border region of over 1,000 km², the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade is tasked with implementing the Khe Sanh Economic-Defense Zone Project in seven particularly disadvantaged communes in the western part of Quang Tri province, along a 127 km friendly border with Laos. This area is home to over 11,000 households of various ethnic groups: Kinh, Van Kieu, and Pa Co, with 94% being ethnic minorities and 38% living in poverty. Therefore, alongside successfully fulfilling military and national defense duties and coordinating efforts to safeguard border sovereignty and security, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade always stands alongside the people in their journey of economic development and border security.

Officers from the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade exchanged experiences in building models to support the Van Kieu ethnic minority in economic development and poverty alleviation.

In Huong Phung commune, the family of Ms. Ho Thi Bay is considered a typical example of a family escaping poverty and building a new life. Like many households in this area, Ms. Bay's family previously relied solely on the forest and mountains for their livelihood, constantly struggling with poverty. In 2023, with support from the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade, Ms. Bay's family received three breeding goats, assistance in building a barn, and guidance on farming and disease prevention. To date, the goat herd has grown to 12 animals. "Raising goats provides a fairly stable income, and our family no longer faces hunger and hardship like before. Thank you to the 337th Brigade for changing our old, outdated ways of thinking and doing things, opening up a path out of poverty for my family and many other households," Ms. Ho Thi Bay emotionally expressed.

The 337th Economic-Defense Brigade provided breeding goats and technical guidance on goat farming to the family of Ms. Ho Thi Bay (Huong Phung commune, Quang Tri province).

In fulfilling its mission to build a strong and developing Khe Sanh Economic-Defense Zone, over the past five years, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade has invested in the construction of 27 infrastructure and community projects with a total investment value of over 100 billion VND. In addition, the unit has organized 33 training courses, directly guiding nearly 2,000 households on farming and livestock techniques; mobilized people to renovate and build more than 1,100 livestock barns; provided 542 cows, 1,293 goats, and 148 breeding pigs, creating an important foundation for people to develop sustainable livelihoods. It has also coordinated the demolition of 38 temporary and dilapidated houses; built nearly 30 houses of gratitude and houses for comrades to policy beneficiary families and military personnel in difficult circumstances; and donated community cultural centers to 4 villages in 4 communes in the area. The agencies and units under the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade have supported and sponsored 95 extremely poor households with a total value of over 600 million VND; adopted and supported the upbringing of 89 students in the "Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School" program with a total amount of over 1 billion VND; provided free medical examinations and medicine to more than 4,820 people; mobilized nearly 19,000 man-days of soldiers to help people reclaim paddy fields, build and repair houses, build roads, and livestock barns... "These projects, including electricity, roads, schools, and health stations; and many models such as paddy rice cultivation, ginger farming, and breeding of cattle and goats... bearing the brand of the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade have contributed to changing and improving the appearance of the new rural areas and raising the living standards of the people," shared Comrade Tran Trong Kim, Chairman of the People's Committee of A Doi commune, Quang Tri province.

Officers from Production Team 6, 52nd Forestry Regiment, 337th Economic-Defense Group, are guiding and transferring the passion fruit cultivation model to households in the area.

Throughout its journey of building a prosperous and happy life for the people and strengthening the "people's hearts and minds" in the western border region of Quang Tri province, the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade has left a positive impression and earned the absolute trust of the local Party committees, authorities, and people. “In the period 2026-2030, the unit will continue to implement many practical and meaningful programs, projects, and models to support the people, with a focus on the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period 2021-2030 and the 2036 Project of Military Region 4 on “Improving the quality and effectiveness of mass mobilization work of the armed forces of Military Region 4 in special areas in the Military Region in the period 2023-2030 and the following years”; thereby creating firm trust of the people in the policies of the Party and the State, shining the image and noble qualities of Uncle Ho's soldiers in the hearts of the people,” affirmed Colonel Nguyen Duc Thao, Political Commissar of the 337th Economic-Defense Brigade.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/diem-tua-vung-chac-cua-nguoi-dan-vung-bien-1023101