"Flowers on rocks," where will they bloom?

When will this door open again, filled with joy? Photo: TRUNG VIET

Luckily, the first person I met was Bnước Bước. He was a former village team member, the number one assistant to Nguyễn Ngọc Thu, a former youth volunteer officer from Quảng Nam, former manager of Thạnh Mỹ Youth Volunteer Village, and a friend of mine. He still had that radiant smile on his dark, tanned face, so characteristic of… Cơ Tu people. “What else, brother! The commune said that from May 10th, they would fine anyone who lets their buffaloes and cows roam freely and damage the gardens, but it’s been a whole week now, and we haven’t seen anything. The buffaloes and cows are roaming everywhere, and adults bring children to play, it’s a mess.”

Ten Years of a Village Dream

She spoke, then ran off. I stood there alone. The gate to the administration building was silent. Leaves and rubbish covered the yard. The grapefruit orchard next to the chicken and pig farm was covered in knee-high grass and rubbish. I stood there and remembered. Years ago, it was bustling and lively. So many times I came here, sat with them, rain or shine, laughter, even though I was lonely, often just Thu and me, but no one thought this day would come.

To the right, the barbed wire fence had flattened. I stepped over it. A small bulldozer, its hood now covered in green vegetation that had climbed up the windshield. A long row of white tourist tents, now gray. Instead of people inside, weeds had taken over.

I remember when we were setting up the tents, Nguyen Thanh Vinh – the head of the youth volunteer team – whispered to us, "We'll connect with the district youth union, and then tour groups will come here when they go on trips." The tours haven't materialized yet, but many activities by the unit and individuals have already taken place. Their favorite phrase in the guestbook was, "It's amazing!" Pomelos, guavas, a football field, a fish pond, a livestock farm, and even visits to the homes of team members in the village… Everything is so well-organized. Where else in Thanh My can you find such a green space?

I stood there, alone. Ten years ago, when the village was just starting construction, Thu also ran to the East Truong Son crossroads to pick me up, much to the astonishment of the others: "How do you know each other?" Well, how! Thu and I had once... shared drinks and slept overnight in the camp at Nuoc Oa Youth Volunteer Village when the province had just separated. After that, Thu came up here. She was the camp's caretaker all by herself.

With a total investment of over 49 billion VND on an area of more than 1,000 hectares, this land, which was once barren, dry limestone in the summer and bitterly cold in the winter, welcomed the first 60 young families to settle there between 2017 and 2019. The area was equipped with a comprehensive and well-planned system of electricity, running water, a community center, forest roads, and over 350 meters of concentrated livestock pens… These figures and explanations will be provided later. At that time, it was just Thu.

Just think, 1,000 hectares, turning over every meter of rocky soil, planting trees, and making sure they survive. The reason: the model! It would be meaningless and a joke if it failed. Thu was the manager, overseeing and providing technical guidance. Because nobody knew proper planting techniques. The terrain was extremely difficult, limestone, steep, and the rain lashed down, stripping the skin of the soil. How could they ensure that the money, effort, dedication, and most importantly, the public's perception, didn't become negative and meaningless?

Not so long ago, the trees were laden with the first sweet fruits of the season. Photo: TRUNG VIET

I remember Thu telling me that the water source was on a hill several kilometers away, and they had to collect it and bring it back for irrigation. Rain caused debris to accumulate, blocking the water flow. They had to find the damaged areas and fix them. Even in the sun, they couldn't be lazy. If they neglected it, the trees would die. "You have to be able to pinpoint exactly which trees, which rows, and where haven't been watered. You have to be that knowledgeable to be able to control it." Thu and other team members like Bước and Hiên Chưu planted over 300 green pomelo trees, personally fencing them off, watering, and fertilizing them. They experimented with planting Thai jackfruit, bananas, guavas, and seedless lemons. They also bred hybrid wild pigs and free-range chickens under the forest canopy. When the model proved successful, he personally guided and transferred his technical experience to the Cơ Tu people, who previously only knew how to clear land for slash-and-burn farming.

From here, many team members have been able to earn a living. But more importantly, they have gained access to science and technology, professionalism, and seriousness in their work. This is an inherent gap that young people in mountainous areas find difficult to fill. This is also the ultimate goal that the Government aims for when establishing the Youth Volunteer Villages in mountainous areas.

Occasionally, Thu would call: "Come up, there's someone speaking... Kinh (Vietnamese), it'll make me less lonely." This was followed by laughter. The story of nearly 10 years living alone, her home in Tam Ky, going up Monday morning and returning Friday evening. Motorbike and... motorbike. Living in the mountains but earning a salary from the lowlands... She recounted this briefly to reveal a face that had poured all her thoughts, love, and responsibility into. Therefore, it's not surprising that he was sad.

Reviving the village with human kindness and modern thinking.

The sun was scorching. I was alone amidst the buzzing heat, with no wind. So many delegations and leaders from the province to the local level had come here. They offered effusive praise and advice. A village that was once a symbol of youthful aspirations, once a shining example – the most impressive and professional green village in this place. Throughout the difficult years of the pandemic, that village remained peaceful, self-sufficient, and self-sustaining, relying on potatoes and pumpkins they grew themselves. That steep, rocky slope had truly become a proud green dot, defying the harshness of the forest, for the sweat shed in that village was as abundant as the spring water.

Now, it's like a somber note falling. The village was left ownerless overnight.

I inquired and learned that the Youth Union and Thanh My commune had agreed to hand over this village to the local authorities, but there were still some procedural issues regarding asset valuation. It will have a new owner soon. But right now, this village is the most realistic and fair test of the management capabilities and thinking of its leaders.

A time of bustling activity. Photo: TRUNG VIET

The paperwork may be slow due to procedural delays, but protecting public assets and the fruits of labor must be done immediately. The merger whirlwind has removed the "lifeline" from the old project management board, but this is also an opportunity for Thanh My to act, as they will have in their hands a valuable asset that is not easily acquired.

What needs to be done, and how to prevent the village from becoming like other villages that were once prosperous but then... collapsed, that is the responsibility of those in charge. If one looks at the village through the emotionless eyes of bureaucratic paperwork, one will only see obstacles. But if one looks at it with the eyes of responsibility, economic thinking, and respect for the sacrifices of the youth, one will see a great opportunity to revive it.

I leaned against the flamboyant tree in front of the village gate, feeling the heat from the limestone, forged over the past ten years, radiating back into my chest. The village was no longer a project; it was a living entity. Looking beyond the chaos of a transitional zone, one can see that this moment of ownerless silence is not the end, but a necessary pause before the melody moves on to a new chapter. The village is not dead; it is merely holding its breath, waiting for a new, more equitable and self-reliant identity.

The whirlwind of mergers brought an end to the era of state-controlled projects, but at the same time, it opened a great door for Thanh My. Look at the green-skinned pomelo trees clinging to the rocky soil, look at the Co Tu team members who have now memorized the technical handbook on cultivation. These are not assets that can be valued by meaningless numbers on paper, but a stream of civilization that has taken deep root in the land and villages.

Once the valuation process is complete, the baton will be handed back to the local authorities, at which point economic management thinking will replace project-based thinking. Thanh My will not receive a ruin, but a green resource area, a unique ecotourism destination that has been tested and proven successful through ten years of hard work and dedication from young people.

The responsibility now is not just guarding a fence or chasing away a few buffaloes, but nurturing an aspiration. This transition is an opportunity for the locality to demonstrate its capacity for commitment, transforming what once "flowers blooming on rocks" into a bountiful harvest, sustaining the community with the breath of a sustainable market economy. The village will have a leader, and that new leader must possess a broad vision and a warm hand to revive the village with human kindness and a modern mindset.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hoa-tren-da-roi-no-ve-dau-3337839.html