The La Hủ ethnic group is one of 14 very small ethnic groups, with 12,113 people (according to the socio -economic survey of 53 ethnic minorities from 2019) and mostly concentrated in Mường Tè district, Lai Châu province. While working on this series, we had the opportunity to meet with exemplary La Hủ Party branch secretaries and Party members. Although they may differ in age and occupation, they all share one common trait: they are key figures acting as "bridges" between the Party and their villages and people; helping their communities to be enlightened and well-fed.
Party members are pioneers, leading the way.
Born and raised in the impoverished village of Chà Kế, Pờ Lò Hừ's family moved from their agrarian lifestyle to Pha Bu village, Pa Ủ commune, Mường Tè district, Lai Châu province, more than 60km from their homeland, when they were over 10 years old. Hừ's childhood, like that of many La Hủ people in the area, was filled with days of wandering with their parents and grandparents through the forests in search of a livelihood. This period of instability is the reason why the La Hủ people have one of the highest poverty rates among the 54 ethnic groups in the country.
Mr. Hừ shared: “In those times, life was very difficult due to the nomadic lifestyle, economic activities were challenging, and food was scarce. But now, thanks to the policies of the Party and the State, the lives of the La Hủ people have changed; they are settled and stable. The State has also helped improve the roads, making it easier for the villagers to do business.”
In 2011, at the age of 30, Mr. Pờ Lò Hừ, an outstanding individual, had the honor of joining the Party and became the first La Hủ Party member of Pha Pu village. At that time, Mr. Ly Sạ Pu, then the Party Secretary of Pa Ủ commune, helped and introduced him to the Party for training and admission.
According to Anh Hừ, in 2010, when he was encouraged and persuaded to join the Party by Mr. Ly Sa Pu, he vividly remembers Mr. Pu's words: joining the Party would help the villagers overcome poverty. Those simple, heartfelt words touched the young man's heart, igniting in him a burning desire to contribute to the people and the Party right from his own village.
Living in a place where "you can see the sky when you look up and a deep ravine and dense forest when you look down," with harsh weather conditions and a low starting point for his family and ethnic group, Pờ Lò Hừ, as a Party member, Party Branch Secretary and Village Head, diligently researched and learned to build his family's economy. After many years of hard work, Pờ Lò Hừ now possesses assets worth billions of dong, including a herd of over 100 buffaloes and cows, and dozens of hectares of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginseng.
Over the years, Mr. Pờ Lò Hừ has also helped hundreds of households in the village and commune. Not only has he created jobs, but every year he provides rice and grain to families facing food shortages; he lends money interest-free to those lacking capital and business experience, and guides them on how to develop their businesses. From the farm model of the Party Branch Secretary and Village Head of Pha Bu, Pờ Lò Hừ, many other models have emerged in the villages of Mu Chi, Thăm Pa, Nhú Ma, Ứ Ma, Xà Hồ, etc., in Pa Ủ commune.
Sharing her thoughts with us, Ms. Ly Mo Nu, a resident of Pha Bu village, Pa U commune, enthusiastically said that Mr. Po Lo Hu is a role model for the villagers to follow. Over the years, thanks to Mr. Hu's help, the villagers have been able to escape poverty.
"Things aren't as difficult as before, so my children can get a better education. It's not just my family; many households in the village are now living more comfortably than before. Everyone in the village is very happy," Ly Mo Nu confided.
A strong Party branch is essential for the people's lives to become increasingly prosperous.
In 2014, the Pha Bu village Party branch was established, and Mr. Po Lo Hu was elected as its Secretary. Currently, the Pha Bu village Party branch has 6 members. Since its establishment, the lives of the villagers have changed noticeably.
“The entire Pha Bu village currently has 102 households with 452 inhabitants. Before 2014, the poverty rate in Pha Bu village was nearly 100%. However, since the establishment of the Party branch, the Party members have always been exemplary, leading the way in bringing the Party and State's policies and guidelines to the people, and as a result, the villagers have changed a lot. Currently, many households have escaped poverty. The poverty rate in the village is now only over 70%,” Mr. Hu said.
“In disadvantaged areas where people's lives are limited in terms of awareness and development levels, exemplary individuals like this are highly valuable. Party members like Mr. Pờ Lò Hừ, who are both directly involved at the grassroots level and members of ethnic minority communities, have earned the people's respect. Through their practical actions, they have created a ripple effect and served as role models to encourage and motivate local people to learn from and follow their example, contributing to the gradual improvement of the commune's socio-economic development.”
Mr. Dao Van Thuc, Secretary of the Party Committee of Pa U commune, Muong Te district, Lai Chau province.
Recalling the arduous months spent eradicating the "party member-free zone" in the La Hủ ethnic minority area of Pa Ủ commune, the former Party Secretary of Ly Sạ Pu commune still cannot forget that he was one of the first people to "nurture" party members in that difficult area.
According to Mr. Ly Sa Pu, in a living environment still plagued by outdated customs, where La Hu men and women drink alcohol and smoke tobacco day after day, with more alcohol than rice in their homes, and their lives dependent solely on nature and nomadic lifestyles, the term "party member" is a vague and distant concept for them.
“I remember back in 2000, the Party branches had very few members, and at that time, the commune was only a Party branch, not a Party committee. Therefore, to establish a Party committee with 30 members, we had to encourage everyone to attend Party training courses. Thanks to that, we gradually managed to establish a Party committee. The difficulties were countless, but I had to try very hard. Whenever I found someone who met the requirements, I encouraged them to strive to join the Party,” recalled the former Secretary of the Party Committee of Pa Ủ Ly Sạ Pu commune.
Before 2015, La Hủ boys and girls would simply attend school to learn the alphabet, then drop out. They would get married between the ages of 13 and 15, and from then on, they would be preoccupied with digging up bamboo shoots and cassava roots in the forest, not knowing how to cultivate rice, and accustomed to poverty. When food and clothing were scarce, their understanding of the Party was likely incomplete, and they were not very enthusiastic about joining the Party.
Furthermore, not to mention the Party's regulations, those applying for Party membership must have completed lower secondary school and not violated population policies… Meanwhile, most of the La Hủ ethnic group and many other ethnic groups here have low levels of education, and the majority have three to four children or more. Therefore, finding outstanding individuals to nurture and recommend to the Party has been a difficult time for Mr. Ly Sa Pu, as well as the Party Committee of Pa Ủ commune.
However, thanks to the Party's guidelines and policies, today, the La Hủ people in Pa Ủ have abandoned the practice of clearing land to plant seeds, replacing it with terraced rice paddies. They no longer let their chickens and pigs roam freely as before, but instead raise cattle in sheltered pens and designated grazing areas, in line with the goals of the New Rural Development Program. Their lives are becoming increasingly prosperous.
From the beginning of the term until October 9, 2024, the Party Committee of Pa U commune has admitted 61 new party members, including 56 members of the La Hu ethnic group. Without dedicated and responsible party members like Mr. Ly Sa Pu, and many others who came after him, it would have been difficult to recruit young party members and establish a new Party branch in this remote and isolated area. And without a strong Party branch, the lives of the La Hu people would not have changed as they have…
Monk Dong Ba – the nucleus of unity among the Cham people.
Comment (0)