Entrepreneurial journey from traditional culture

Ms. Cha shared: As a Mong ethnic person, I understand the hardships and difficulties of the people in the village, so since I was in high school, I have cherished the dream of one day contributing to the development of my homeland by promoting the traditional cultural values of the nation. That dream grew over the years and became the motivation for me to start a business, not only for myself, but also to preserve and introduce the unique products of the Mong people to friends near and far.

Thanks to the attention and support of the local Party Committee and government, in 2018, Ms. Cha had the opportunity to access the Women's Start-up Support Project implemented by the City Women's Union with an initial capital of 100 million VND. This is a challenging journey but also a very proud one, when contributing to economic development, enhancing the status of women and preserving the national cultural identity of her homeland. In order to become a meeting place for tourists from all over, Ms. Cha has chosen safe foods with clear origins raised and grown by the people of the villages in the commune. In particular, the dishes are prepared according to the traditional flavors of the Mong people.

Ms. Giang Thi Cha (third from left) and the art troupe welcome visitors to the village.

During the operation, Ms. Cha has made efforts to build and implement many effective models, notably the tourism model associated with ethnic cuisine in Gia Khau 1 village. Cooperating with the commune's art troupes to exchange and perform for tourists. Since its establishment, the cooperative has welcomed over 10,000 tourists to visit, experience and enjoy the cuisine and traditional culture of the Mong people. This is not only the pride of the cooperative but also a positive mark in promoting the Mong ethnic identity to friends near and far. Currently, Nam Loong Agricultural Service Tourism Cooperative has 7 official members.

Along with tourism development, the cooperative also promotes the restoration and development of the traditional corn wine making profession of Sung Phai commune. On average, each month, the cooperative produces and supplies the market with about 1,000 liters of high-quality corn wine. The cooperative also actively organizes instruction and shares wine making techniques for local women's association members, thereby contributing to the preservation of traditional ethnic occupations and creating a stable source of livelihood for women.

The cooperative also focuses on instructing members and people on how to sell and promote products through social networking platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, TikTok... to help women access a wider market, be confident and proactive in developing their personal economy.

In particular, from 2023, Gia Khau 1 tourist area, Sung Phai commune, was honored to be chosen by Lai Chau City People's Committee as the venue for the Gak Tao Cha Festival. This is an important milestone and also a great opportunity for the village and the cooperative to promote more widely the beauty of Mong ethnic culture to a large number of tourists. To contribute to this event, Nam Loong Agricultural Service Tourism Cooperative has closely coordinated with local departments, branches and organizations to welcome the delegations of guests attentively, demonstrating the typical hospitality of the highland people.

Ms. Giang Thi Cha (7th from right) and other benefactors give gifts to poor families in Nam Pi commune (Nam Nhun district).

Currently, the Cooperative is focusing on developing and restoring traditional crafts such as brocade weaving, processing typical ethnic dishes, and displaying traditional handicrafts, agricultural products, and cuisine at Gia Khau village tourist area, in order to create attractive highlights and attract tourists.

The cooperative also devotes much effort to improving the landscape environment, planting seasonal flowers, building and developing Homestay models to serve tourists. In particular, maintaining and developing folk art troupes and traditional art performances have contributed to enriching the picture of community tourism imbued with the identity of the highlands.

In addition to cooperative development activities, Ms. Cha also participates in volunteer activities with philanthropists. Sharing about her future plans, Ms. Cha enthusiastically said: To develop Nam Loong Agricultural Service Tourism Cooperative sustainably, associated with promoting the strengths of local women members, in the coming time I will continue to learn from effective models in other provinces to flexibly apply locally; increase the application of information technology to promote tourism products and services and promote the potential of local people to contribute to building Lai Chau city to be more developed, civilized and modern.

Source: https://baolaichau.vn/xa-hoi/hanh-trinh-khoi-nghiep-tu-van-hoa-truyen-thong-1181161