Leverage from the program, creating momentum in sustainable poverty reduction

STO - When the story of sustainable poverty reduction in Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang) is no longer limited to the efforts of individuals and families but expands to include the participation of the entire political system, it will have a positive impact on each poor and near-poor household. Households are aware that when given a "fishing rod", it is an opportunity for family life to turn a new page and the path to sustainable poverty reduction will not be far away.

The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction for the 2021 - 2025 period is one of the programs that brings prosperity and a new life to the people of Cu Lao Dung district. This is demonstrated by the significant decrease in the number of poor and near-poor households. In 2021, the number of poor households in the district was 402, accounting for 2.49%; the number of near-poor households was 1,252, accounting for 7.76%. By the end of 2024, there were only 124 poor households, accounting for 0.73% (a decrease of 278 poor households, a decrease of 1.76%); the number of near-poor households was 480, accounting for 2.84% (a decrease of 772 near-poor households, a decrease of 4.92%).

According to comrade Vo Thanh Nhanh - Vice Chairman of Cu Lao Dung District People's Committee, with the attention, leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the People's Committee of Soc Trang province, the guidance on professional expertise of departments and branches, the direct direction of the District Party Committee, the coordination of branches and local authorities, the implementation of the indicators of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction has been deployed synchronously, with the assignment of responsibilities from the steering committees at all levels and achieved encouraging results. The good implementation of policy groups has helped the poor in the area, especially the poor ethnic minorities, reduce difficulties, have conditions to receive social services, gradually raise awareness, absorb science and technology to apply in life and production, gradually rise out of poverty, contribute to socio -economic development, ensure national defense and security in the area. Along with the implementation of the program, the district has also invested in completing rural transport infrastructure, which has had a positive impact on travel, trade of goods, and economic development of households.

Rural traffic in Cu Lao Dung district ( Soc Trang ) is being invested in and built. Photo: NGOC HAI

It is known that the total capital to implement the program in the district in the period of 2021 - 2025 is 11,648,587 million VND. The district has disbursed 10,981,159 million VND, reaching 93.3% of the capital plan. From this capital source, the district focuses on synchronously implementing 5 projects: diversifying livelihoods, developing poverty reduction models; supporting production development, improving nutrition; developing vocationaleducation , sustainable employment; communication and poverty reduction information; improving capacity and monitoring and evaluating the program, in which the highest disbursed capital is in the project of diversifying livelihoods, developing poverty reduction models with an amount of 6,751,387 million VND. In supporting the construction and replication of poverty reduction models, the locality has invested in 33 models (breeding cattle, fattening cattle, crossbred wild boar, super lean pigs, breeding goats, bio-safe chickens, French Muscovy ducks, and mud-free eel farming) in communes and towns, benefiting 360 poor, near-poor, and newly escaped-poverty households. Thanks to this "support", households have reduced investment costs, increased livestock profits, and have revolving capital for the next crop.

This program has also solved the problem of employment for rural workers, especially the idle labor force in the locality. Accordingly, communes, towns as well as district levels regularly organize job counseling and referrals for workers. From 2021 to now, more than 11,200 workers have been referred to jobs; 138 workers have been sent to work abroad for a limited period; 60 workers have been sent to study and work abroad under contracts. The district's Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center has also opened 143 short-term vocational training classes (including 92 non-agricultural classes, 51 agricultural classes), with over 4,300 students, contributing to the rate of trained workers reaching 50.01%.

Not only paying attention to household economic development, this program has also reduced the rate of stunting and malnutrition in children under 5 years old in communes; children from poor and near-poor households are able to go to school at the right age. Accordingly, regarding nutrition improvement, the District People's Committee directed the District Health Center to implement outreach to the subjects and directly intervene to prevent malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies for mothers and children under 5 years old in poor and near-poor households. The results of the implementation were nearly 2,500 children needing nutritional assessment, nearly 650 pregnant women receiving nutrition counseling, nearly 1,000 mothers receiving nutrition counseling, and 650 malnourished children receiving multi-micronutrient supplements. With the attention of all levels, sectors and school units, the rate of children from poor households going to school at the right age reached 95%, meeting the planned target.

Mr. Thach Duong and his wife, Son Ton hamlet, An Thanh 2 commune, Cu Lao Dung district (Soc Trang) are determined to overcome difficulties. Photo: NGOC HAI

The district also promotes communication and poverty reduction in information; communication on multidimensional poverty reduction. That aims to inform about the purpose, meaning, content, and solutions of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, raise awareness and responsibility of the community on poverty reduction, and at the same time help people, especially the poor, access useful information to escape poverty. Thanks to accessing new knowledge in family economic development, Mr. Thach Duong and his wife, Son Ton hamlet, An Thanh 2 commune, are determined and work hard to escape from difficulties. To gain that confidence, there is the "contribution" of the women's union, local officials to inform and propagate the policies of the Party and State, always caring for and motivating households to escape poverty through many methods, including "giving a fishing rod - a source of loan capital" for households to strive for economic development.

Mr. Duong and his wife have nearly 6 hectares of land for growing vegetables. On average, he grows 4 crops of vegetables a year. Thanks to access to loans from the Social Policy Bank, the couple boldly rented 10 hectares of land to expand the area for growing vegetables. Mr. Duong confided: “From the accumulated knowledge and experience, I grow a variety of vegetables: green mustard, lettuce, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, cantaloupe... because even if one plant loses value, the other can be sold for a higher price. On average, my family earns 100 million VND per year. Thanks to that, my wife and I have also saved up money to build a new, more spacious house.”

To continue to sustainably reduce poverty, in the coming time, Cu Lao Dung district will continue to promote the achieved results, including replicating good and creative models and practices in implementing poverty reduction tasks; improving the efficiency of resource use from programs, projects and policies, especially resources from national target programs.

NGOC HAI

Source: https://baosoctrang.org.vn/xa-hoi/202505/don-bay-tu-chuong-trinh-tao-suc-bat-trong-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-5bf207d/