People's hearts open the roads

One early autumn morning, we had the opportunity to return to Muong Bo commune. The road leading to the commune was still covered in mist, the terraced fields were shimmering with the golden light of harvest, and wisps of smoke from the stilt houses appeared and disappeared on the mountainside. The deeper we went into the commune, the more we could feel the changes. The dirt paths of yesteryear had now been replaced by smooth, clean concrete roads; the laughter of children on their way to school, the bustling sounds of motorbikes and trucks coming and going… all created a new rhythm of life in the revolutionary countryside.

According to comrade Nguyen Trung Kien - Secretary of the Muong Bo Commune Party Committee, to have the straight and flat roads today, it does not only come from the State capital, but also originates from the consensus of the people. Every inch of garden land, fences, trees, even the corners of the yards and houses of the people have been given up to change the appearance of the commune.

"However, to gain the people's consensus is a difficult and arduous process" - comrade Nguyen Trung Kien shared.

In the past, mobilizing households to donate land was not easy, because for them, "an inch of land is an inch of gold". In that situation, party members and prestigious people such as Mr. Vang Da Xa, Head of Nam Keng village, actively participated. Accordingly, Mr. Xa and party members in the cell patiently "went to every alley, knocked on every door" to propagate and mobilize; at the same time, they pioneered in donating land to set an example for people to follow. Seeing with their own eyes, hearing with their own ears, the households that did not agree finally agreed, the whole people discussed and worked together, the difficult things became easy.

“At first, many households were hesitant because land is a big asset. We had to go to each household and clearly explain the long-term benefits. When a pioneer household donated land, other households saw the effectiveness and gradually agreed. When the road was opened, everyone benefited, no longer did any household suffer personal losses,” Mr. Vang Da Xa recounted.

For the common benefit and goal, households voluntarily donated land to expand and build roads to make travel more convenient. Families who were previously hesitant about losing their privacy finally agreed and were willing to donate land to open roads for the whole community. From the pioneering of a few households, the movement quickly spread into a common strength, so that each meter of land and each day of work contributed to create roads bearing the mark of the people's hearts.

Ms. Lo Ghi Kha in Nam Keng village, recalling the time when her family decided to dismantle the fence and donate nearly 500 square meters of garden land, said: At first, I felt regretful because it was the land our ancestors left behind. But I thought it would be easier for my children to go to school, it would be easier to sell goods, and the benefits for the whole village could not be kept for myself. Donating the land was for my own family to develop.

Sharing the same thought, Mrs. Lu Thi Phung, Muong Bo 1 village could not hide her joy when leading us on the smooth concrete road. Mrs. Phung said: This road used to be a dirt road, very difficult to travel. Therefore, when the village had a policy to widen the road and pour concrete, my family immediately responded, now traveling is very convenient.

Thanks to consensus, by mid-2025, Muong Bo people had donated nearly 4 hectares of land and contributed hundreds of working days to rebuild nearly 5 km of intra-field and inter-family roads. In addition, 100% of village and inter-village roads have been concreted; nearly 90% of alley roads have been completed. The whole commune has 15 village roads over 30 km long and nearly 12 km of alley roads, along with a 7 m long iron bridge built by the people.

These numbers are living proof of the belief and aspiration of the people here. When the people's hearts are in agreement, Muong Bo is also changing day by day. Now, there are no more bumpy, dusty dirt roads when sunny, muddy when rainy, but instead are flat, spacious roads, winding around the mountainside, connecting terraced fields and winding into every small alley.

Comrade Nguyen Trung Kien - Secretary of the Muong Bo Commune Party Committee commented: If we only rely on State capital, the progress will certainly be very slow. Thanks to the people's solidarity, the project's time is shortened, costs are saved and it is more effective. The greatest gain is not only the concrete roads, but also the people's trust in the Party's policies and guidelines. When people believe and are united, no matter how difficult the task is, it can be done.

However, in addition to the internal roads that have been concreted thanks to the people's efforts, in the conversation with us, the Party Secretary of the commune still has concerns. Currently, in the area, many key routes leading to the commune, such as Provincial Road 152, 152 B or inter-commune roads to Gia Phu, Ban Ho, Nam Chay... are seriously degraded due to the impact of storm No. 3 in 2024, in which, on the 2 routes Provincial Road 152, 152 B alone, there are up to 4 "black" spots with potential risks of accidents, especially in the rainy season or when there is dense fog.

According to the Party Secretary of the commune, Nguyen Trung Kien, this situation has more or less affected the general appearance of Muong Bo. However, with the consensus and spirit of "people working together, people enjoying together", the commune will continue to seek the support and cooperation of the people, combined with the State's resources to repair and upgrade degraded roads, ensure traffic safety, and at the same time maintain the image of Muong Bo increasingly prosperous and developed.

The concrete roads from the people are a vivid demonstration of the community's strength, of the harmony between the Party's will and the people's will. Donating land to open roads - that simple yet great story is adding more confidence and motivation for Muong Bo to continue the journey of building new rural areas and developing steadily.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/long-dan-rong-mo-nhung-tuyen-duong-post882702.html