The journey out of poverty

A view of the center of Chiềng La commune, Thuận Châu district today.

A systematic approach...

Thuan Chau and Sop Cop are two poor districts in the province. Thuan Chau has a high percentage of poor and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty approach; poverty reduction results are not truly sustainable, and there is a risk of re-poverty; infrastructure is still lacking and weak; the progress of implementing some projects is slow; vocational training for rural laborers and job creation have not been effective.

Resolution No. 18-NQ/HU sets out the following basic targets: The percentage of poor and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard will decrease by 27.94%; the socio-economic development level of commune-level administrative units will decrease by 3 particularly difficult communes; the average per capita income of the district will reach 25 million VND/person/year; the district, located in a mountainous, highland, and border area, will meet the criteria stipulated in Decision No. 36/2021/QĐ-TTg dated December 13, 2021, of the Prime Minister.

Comrade Thào A Súa, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, informed: To create a breakthrough in poverty reduction, the district has mobilized the entire political system. The Standing Committee of the District Party Committee directed grassroots Party branches and committees to thoroughly disseminate the content of the resolution to cadres, Party members, and the people. Party committees at all levels, the government, the Fatherland Front, and political and social organizations, agencies, and units have clearly identified sustainable poverty reduction as a top priority. The poverty reduction target has been included as a basic target in the annual and 2022-2025 socio-economic development plans. Annually, the results of achieving the poverty reduction target are included in the criteria for evaluating and ranking emulation and commendation.

Chiềng La Primary and Secondary School in Thuận Châu district has been built in a modern and spacious style.

To fulfill its nhiệm vụ, the District People's Committee directed communes and towns to mobilize and educate people to actively shift the structure of crops and livestock, and apply scientific and technical advancements to production. At the same time, it supported many livelihood projects for the people.

For Party committees and organizations from the district level to the grassroots, specific tasks should be assigned to members of the Standing Committee, Party committee members, and cadres and Party members in charge of the communes, villages, and sub-districts to regularly monitor, direct, and inspect the implementation of sustainable poverty reduction. Annually, they should review and identify poor and near-poor households and allocate resources for implementation.

...to the changes

Visiting Thuan Chau today, one witnesses many changes in infrastructure and the production methods of the people. This is the result of the synchronized implementation of solutions in mobilizing investment capital for infrastructure, supporting production, and creating livelihoods for farmers.

According to Mr. Huynh Minh Tuan, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Chau district, Thuan Chau district has so far planned three economic zones: the economic zone along National Highway 6, mainly focusing on specialized cultivation of tea, coffee, taro, and various fruit trees; the highland and remote communes developing agriculture and forestry; and the zone along the Da River developing coffee, rubber, afforestation, and exploiting the surface water of lakes for aquaculture.

Farmers in Chiềng Ngàm commune, Thuận Châu district, are harvesting mangoes.

During the period 2021-2025, from the allocated funds of the national target program for building new rural areas and the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction, the district invested in the construction of 242 projects: roads, irrigation works, schools, cultural houses, etc., meeting the essential needs of the people. By May 2025, the district will have 5 communes meeting the standards of new rural areas; and 3 communes will be removed from the list of particularly difficult communes.

In addition, from 2021 to the present, 20,675 poor households, near-poor households, and other policy beneficiaries have accessed policy credit funds, with a total loan amount of 1,001,744 million VND. Mr. Luong Van Thuong, from Bia village sub-district, Thuan Chau town, said: "In 2023, my family accessed a policy loan of 100 million VND to invest in livestock farming. Currently, my family raises 6 cows, 6 pigs, and cultivates 5,000 m2 of coffee. To increase our income, my family has also started a motorbike repair business..."

Chieng La is a particularly disadvantaged commune in Thuan Chau district, classified as a Category III area. In implementing the criteria for building new rural areas, the commune received nearly 21.4 billion VND in government funding and nearly 1.3 billion VND in contributions from the people for infrastructure development. In addition, the commune mobilized the people to repair 12 km of inter-village, inter-commune, and local roads leading to the villages. To date, all 6 villages have cultural centers; 100% of households have access to safe and reliable electricity from various sources; and there are no longer any temporary or dilapidated houses.

Farmers in Nam Tien village, Bon Phang commune, Thuan Chau district, are tending their dragon fruit orchards.

Mr. Lo Van Hoa, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chieng La commune, reported: In 2023, the commune achieved 19 out of 19 criteria and became the 5th commune in the district to meet the New Rural Area standards. This is a condition for the commune to escape from being classified as a particularly disadvantaged commune in the district. To maintain these criteria, the commune's Party committee and government have linked the implementation of the New Rural Area construction with various economic models. Commune officials regularly monitor the grassroots level, listen to the opinions and aspirations of the people, and promptly resolve difficulties in the New Rural Area construction process, creating consensus among officials, members, and the people. In 2024, the multidimensional poverty rate of the commune will decrease to 10.07%; average income will reach 45 million VND/person/year.

Conditions for escaping poverty in a district.

The poverty and near-poverty rate in Thuan Chau district is currently 27.94%, a decrease of 27.02% compared to the beginning of the term, exceeding the target set by the Government in Decision No. 880/QD-TTg dated July 22, 2022, of the Prime Minister. Notably, the three communes of Tong Co, Chieng Pha, and Chieng La have escaped the status of being poor and extremely disadvantaged communes and have achieved the new rural standard.

Farmers in Na Xa village, Phong Ly commune, Thuan Chau district raise livestock in enclosed pens.

In addition, the district has achieved several targets: The poverty rate among ethnic minority households decreased by 5.56%, exceeding the set target, from 40.44% in 2021 to 23.77% in 2024; 100% of communes have concrete roads leading to the commune center; 72.92% of villages have hardened roads leading to the center; 99.9% of households have access to the national power grid and other suitable power sources; 100% of ethnic minority people have access to clean drinking water; 97.3% of ethnic minority people participate in health insurance...

Farmers in Muong Khieng commune, Thuan Chau district, raise fish in cages.

With appropriate and systematic steps, and based on the scoring criteria for identifying poor districts, Thuan Chau district has 38 points, meeting the conditions to be considered for recognition as having escaped poverty according to Point c, Clause 2, Article 8 of Decision 36/2021/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. Being recognized as having escaped poverty demonstrates the unity and joint efforts of the entire political system in implementing the criteria; the people's will to overcome poverty, transforming the face of the new rural areas and building a prosperous and happy life for the people.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/kinh-te/hanh-trinh-thoat-ngheo-CT6pBnPNg.html