Changes in Ya Xier

Ya Xiêr commune, Sa Thầy district (Kon Tum province) has 6 hamlets/villages; a population of over 6,470 people, with ethnic minorities accounting for more than 87% of the population. Over the years, under the leadership and guidance of the Party Committee and local government, the efforts of ethnic minority people, and investment resources from national target programs, the appearance of the commune is improving day by day. Many poor ethnic minority households have risen out of poverty sustainably and become wealthy on their own land. On December 20th, the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh province, in coordination with the Ethnic Affairs Committee and the People's Committee of An Lao district, organized a training course on building a model for preserving and promoting folk songs, folk dances, and folk music of the Hre people in An Trung commune (An Lao district). On the morning of December 21st, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh – Head of the Steering Committee for implementing Resolution No. 136/2024/QH15 dated June 26, 2024, of the National Assembly on the organization of urban government and piloting some specific mechanisms and policies for the development of Da Nang city – chaired the first meeting of the Steering Committee. Also attending were leaders from several central ministries and agencies, and the city of Da Nang, which is a member of the Steering Committee. Ya Xier commune, Sa Thầy district (Kon Tum province) has 6 hamlets and villages; a population of over 6,470 people, with ethnic minorities accounting for more than 87% of the population. Over the years, under the leadership and guidance of the local Party committee and government, the efforts of ethnic minority people, and investment resources from national target programs, the appearance of the commune is improving day by day. Many poor ethnic minority households have risen out of poverty sustainably and become wealthy on their own land. Recently, the National Agricultural Extension Center, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dien Bien province, organized a seminar on communicating the community agricultural extension model and evaluating the results of the two-year implementation of the pilot project "Improving the effectiveness of agricultural extension work based on consolidating the community agricultural extension group model". On December 20th, the Department of Culture and Sports of Binh Dinh province, in coordination with the Ethnic Affairs Committee and the People's Committee of An Lao district, organized a training course on building a model for preserving and promoting folk songs, folk dances, and folk music of the Hre people in An Trung commune (An Lao district). On the afternoon of December 20th, a conference was held in Binh Dinh to evaluate the results of the implementation of the cooperation program for tourism development. The 2024 Lai Chau Tourism and Culture Week, themed "Returning to the Majestic Peaks of Lai Chau," was held on the evening of December 20th. Attending the opening ceremony were leaders from the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, leaders from several provinces in the region, and the Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hanoi, Son La, Hoa Binh, Phu Tho, Ha Giang, and Yen Bai; leaders from Jinping County, Yunnan Province, China; and a large number of local people and tourists. This is a summary of news from the Ethnic Minorities and Development Newspaper. The morning news bulletin on December 21st included the following noteworthy information: Bringing folk dance into contemporary life; The potential for green tourism in Binh Thuan; A rough gem gradually shining. Along with other current news from ethnic minority and mountainous regions. Ethnic and responsible individuals in Bac Yen district (Son La province) always play a bridging role, mobilizing people to participate in emulation movements, actively engaging in production, eradicating hunger and poverty, contributing to socio-economic development, and ensuring national defense and security in the locality. On the afternoon of December 20th, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong received the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Australia to Vietnam, Andrew Goledzinowski, for a farewell visit upon the completion of his term. The Ambassador stated that many Australian businesses wish to invest in Vietnam. This is a summary of news from the Ethnic and Development Newspaper. The morning news bulletin on December 21st includes the following noteworthy information: Bringing folk dance into contemporary life. The potential for green tourism in Binh Thuan. A rough gem is gradually shining. Along with other current news from ethnic minority and mountainous regions. On the evening of December 20th, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting between the Prime Minister and Ambassadors and Heads of Vietnamese Representative Offices abroad to summarize economic diplomacy work in 2024 and focus on 2025 to create momentum for breakthrough growth. Also attending were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son; leaders of ministries, sectors, and central agencies; and a number of key corporations and associations. On December 20th, 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued Official Dispatch No. 138/CD-TTg on the implementation of a comprehensive inventory of public assets at agencies, organizations, units, and infrastructure assets invested and managed by the State.

Helping ethnic minority communities change their production methods.

Visiting Ya Xier commune today, one sees not only concrete roads stretching throughout the villages and sturdy houses, but also lush industrial plantations. This shows that the lives of the ethnic minority people here are changing day by day. This change is the result of a long journey of investment and the involvement of the Party committee and local government in propaganda, mobilization, and hands-on guidance to help the ethnic minority people change their mindset and way of doing things.

Officials from Ya Xiêr commune regularly visit and guide Mr. A Blơh (on the left) on how to care for his coffee and durian trees.

Leading us on a tour of his lush coffee and durian orchard, which is preparing to bloom, Mr. A Blơh (of the Gia Rai ethnic group) from O village, Ya Xiêr commune, Sa Thầy district, shared: "Without the care, support, guidance, and companionship of the commune officials, I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have today."

Mr. A Blơh recounted: "Previously, I only knew how to grow cassava and upland rice. Thanks to the guidance and support from the commune officials, I was able to borrow capital from the Social Policy Bank to plant rubber and coffee. In 2022, I received additional support to plant 200 durian trees intercropped in my coffee garden. Since then, my family has earned income and used the accumulated capital to expand production. To date, my family cultivates nearly 1 hectare of coffee, 2 hectares of rubber, and 2 hectares of durian. Our annual income is nearly 300 million VND."

With investment resources from national target programs, from 2022 to the present, Ya Xiêr commune has provided support to 161 households with 197 striped piglets and has developed an additional 33; and supported 164 breeding cows for 164 households and has developed an additional 34.

Ya Xiêr commune, Sa Thầy district, is implementing a program to support poor ethnic minority households with breeding cows.

Mr. A Huc (of the Gia Rai ethnic group), from Lung village, Ya Xier commune, Sa Thay district, said: "Recently, the commune provided support to my family with a breeding cow, along with guidance on building a barn, planting grass, and caring for it. My family followed the procedures correctly, hoping the cow would thrive and provide additional income for the family in the future."

In addition, implementing the "Renovating Unproductive Gardens" project, linked with the campaign "Changing the mindset and practices of ethnic minorities, helping ethnic minorities rise out of poverty sustainably," 322 ethnic minority households in the commune have participated in the renovation project, cultivating over 190 hectares of durian, macadamia, and other fruit trees. Many households participating in these models have also invested additional funds to install automatic, water-saving irrigation systems.

Mr. Phan Chi Thien, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ya Xier commune, Sa Thay district, said: "During the implementation of the National Target Programs, the commune Party Committee directed the commune People's Committee to implement them promptly, fully, and correctly to the target beneficiaries. To ensure the effectiveness of models supporting ethnic minority people in developing their economy , the commune Party Committee focuses on promoting the pioneering and exemplary role of each Party member. It directs the Party branches to assign Party members to be in charge of groups of households and individual poor households. From there, Party members will closely monitor each household, guide them on how to raise livestock and cultivate crops effectively after receiving support, and promptly understand the thoughts and aspirations of each household to provide timely support."

Villages and hamlets are changing.

Along with supporting livelihoods and helping ethnic minority people increase their income, Ya Xier commune also takes advantage of resources from national target programs to invest in infrastructure, prioritizing the beautification of the commune's center and transportation routes leading to people's production areas. From 2021 to the present, the commune has invested in the construction of 13 roads, 2 centralized water supply projects, 2 cultural community halls, and supported the construction of 6 houses... The economic and social infrastructure system has been invested in comprehensively, and the commune's appearance has improved significantly and become more modern.

With investment resources from national target programs and the participation of ethnic minority people, the roads in Lung village, Ya Xier commune have been concreted.

Mr. A Bat (of the Gia Rai ethnic group), Secretary of the Party Branch of Lung village, Ya Xier commune, Sa Thay district, shared: "When the commune invested in rural roads, the villagers were enthusiastic and highly supportive. Wherever the road was built, the villagers would donate land and trees. Currently, all the roads in the village have been concreted, making travel convenient for the villagers. Many households have even voluntarily planted flowers to create a green, clean, and beautiful landscape."

With the support of the Party and the State, and the efforts of the ethnic minority people, the total cultivated area in Ya Xier commune has now reached 2,966 hectares, mainly consisting of rubber trees, coffee, fruit trees, cassava, rice, and medicinal plants. In particular, many ethnic minority households have boldly joined cooperatives to secure stable employment and acquire more advanced farming and livestock techniques.

Mr. Dao Van Khanh (sitting in the middle), Director of Dao Gia Agricultural and Service Cooperative, instructs ethnic minority households participating in the cooperative on how to care for green pumpkin plants.

Mr. Dao Van Khanh, Director of Dao Gia Agricultural and Service Cooperative, said: Currently, the Cooperative is linked with 13 ethnic minority households to grow turmeric, ginger, lemongrass, and various vegetables and root crops. Through this linkage, the Cooperative provides seeds, technical support, and guarantees product purchase, thereby helping the people have an additional stable source of income.

With comprehensive investment and attention, the lives of ethnic minority people in Ya Xier commune are changing day by day. Currently, the average per capita income in the commune reaches 45 million VND/person/year; from 2020 to the present, the entire commune has reduced 588 poor households, with an average annual reduction rate of 10.09%; the commune has achieved 15 out of 19 criteria for new rural development and one village has met the new rural development standards.

With investment resources from national target programs and the consensus of the people, Ya Xiêr commune has now achieved 15 out of 19 criteria for new rural development.

Mr. A In, the village elder of O village, Ya Xier commune, Sa Thầy district, shared: "The ethnic minority people in Y Xier commune have achieved a prosperous and comfortable life today thanks to the Party and the State's investment in all aspects. The appearance of the villages has improved, infrastructure has been upgraded, people's lives have improved, and the people always preserve and promote their beautiful traditional cultural values."

“Thanks to the efforts of the Party Committee, the government, and the people of all ethnic groups, the socio-economic development of the commune has progressed well, the material and spiritual lives of the people have improved; national defense and security are ensured; and the great national unity is becoming increasingly strong. This is an important prerequisite for the commune to strive to achieve the new rural standard by 2025 and by 2030, to reach an average per capita income of 110 million VND/person/year, develop more than 300 hectares of fruit trees, and reduce the poverty rate by 5-6%/year…”, said Mr. Phan Chi Thien, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ya Xier commune.

The colorful Thai culture in the far north of the Central Highlands.

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/doi-thay-o-ya-xier-1734687678962.htm