Nam So is flourishing.

Nam So is the only highland village in Muong Khoa commune, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau province, with 100% of its population being ethnic Lao people. In recent years, thanks to the attention of the Party and the State, the economic , cultural, and social life in Nam So has seen many positive changes.

Muong Khoa commune today.

Perhaps, for Lo Van Doi, the village head and Party branch secretary of Nam So village, the biggest change for the Lao people in Nam So is the increasingly close-knit community spirit and solidarity. Proof of this is that when the village head makes a phone call to inform visitors that they are coming to the village, within ten minutes, the elderly, women, and children are all dressed in their finest clothes, present at the community center to welcome the guests with bright smiles.

The Nậm So village cultural center is truly unique. Built in a stilt house at the edge of the village, amidst vast rice fields, the spacious, airy, and beautiful courtyard, without a roof, is large enough for the entire village to gather, socialize, sing, dance, and play drums and gongs. This is also where the Party and State's policies, guidelines, and laws reach the people in the most complete and comprehensive way.

Tea plants provide a stable source of income for the people of Nam So.

Previously, before the community center was built, all village activities were held at the village head's house. When the plan to build a community center was announced, everyone eagerly awaited a shared space. Therefore, the villagers fully supported the plan, participating by donating land and contributing labor to expedite the construction.

After a period of construction, the village cultural center was inaugurated, along with a solid system of internal village roads. This achievement was thanks to the close leadership and guidance of the commune and village authorities, and the unanimous contribution of hundreds of man-days of labor and the donation of over 2,000 square meters of land by the local people to build the internal village roads.

Lao ethnic women weave fabric and sew traditional clothing for their families.

Ms. Lo Thi Ban, Team Leader of the Nam So Village Arts and Culture Team, said: “Nam So Village has now established an Arts and Culture Team with 15 core members. Every day, we receive guidance from the elders on the traditional cultural values ​​of our ethnic group to preserve and develop them.”

For a long time, Nam So has been famous for its Shan Tuyet tea variety, a delicious tea well-suited to the local soil and climate. Thanks to convenient transportation, during harvest time, representatives from Than Uyen Tea Joint Stock Company come to buy the tea buds right at the beginning of the plantation. With a stable supply of tea buds, this brings a significant monthly income to the people of Nam So.

In the village, many households earn a high income from tea cultivation, a typical example being Mr. Lo Van Mai's family, who earn approximately 150 million VND annually from selling fresh tea leaves.

The flower dance of Lao ethnic women in Muong Khoa commune, Tan Uyen district, Lai Chau province.

Recently, the people of Nam So have planted an additional 54 hectares of Kim Tuyen tea variety, hoping that tea will become a key crop in poverty reduction and economic development, and a primary source of income for the people of Nam So.

Secretary of the Party Committee of Muong Khoa commune, Truong Thanh Hieu, shared: “Along with many programs and projects to help people eradicate hunger and reduce poverty that have been implemented synchronously, the socio-economic life of ethnic minorities has undergone significant changes; the average per capita income in Nam So has reached over 45 million VND/person/year; currently there are no more starving households, and the poverty rate is decreasing year by year at an average rate of 5%/year. The Lao people in Nam So today know how to apply science and technology to livestock farming and cultivation, many families have accumulated wealth and risen out of poverty...”.

Ha Minh Hung/Ethnic and Development Newspaper

Source: https://baophutho.vn/nam-so-khoi-sac-216110.htm