Pa Co women inspire from their journey of overcoming difficulties to rise up

HNN - From the once barren land with traces of war in Dong Son commune, A Luoi district (now A Luoi 4 commune), Ms. Ho Thi Sa, a Pa Co ethnic, has made constant efforts to build an organic cattle farm model that brings in a stable income. Her journey of overcoming difficulties has contributed to inspiring many people here to confidently stick to the land and get rich from sustainable agriculture.

Ms. Ho Thi Sa, an inspirational example in A Luoi 4 commune Photo: HOANG OANH

Starting from scratch

On the slippery red dirt road after the rain in early July, we arrived at Ho Thi Sa’s cow farm in Loah village - Ta Vai. Welcoming us with a gentle smile, she said that more than ten years ago, this land was so barren that no trees could grow, water for daily use was scarce, and almost no one dared to think about economic development.

In the past, Ms. Sa only raised a few cows, but then the cows got sick, and in cold weather there was a lack of grass, sometimes having to walk all day to get a few bundles, so life was quite difficult. Therefore, many people chose to leave the village to find a living elsewhere. However, Ms. Sa still clung to the land and the forest. Through her diligence in learning, she began to learn about livestock farming techniques through books, smartphones, and even directly visiting models in other localities, then personally improved the land, planted grass, built barns, and raised cows organically.

2020 marked a turning point for her family when the breeding cow model was expanded to more than 60 cows and dozens of hectares of economic forests. Thanks to bold investment and application of scientific and technological advances, her model was quickly recognized as a standard comprehensive farm. To date, the herd has increased to 104 cows, the pasture has also expanded to more than 10 hectares, bringing in a stable income of more than 1.5 billion VND per year.

Not stopping there, in 2023, Ms. Ho Thi Sa's beef products were certified as organic products, contributing significantly to the success of the collective brand "A Luoi Golden Beef" granted a national protection certificate by the Intellectual Property Office. This is one of the major turning points that helps products from the mountainous region appear in major supermarkets, gradually affirming their position in the clean food market.

Inspirational

Not only is she an effective businesswoman, Ho Thi Sa is also an inspiration to the community. According to Ho Thi Hon, Head of Load - Ta Vai Village, Sa attends every village meeting, not only to share her experience in raising livestock, but also to instill in the villagers the belief that life can change if they persevere. “Sa does not hide her profession. If she has a good way of doing business, she guides everyone. Every time she tells a story or shares her profession, everyone listens attentively and learns from her,” said Hon.

Ms. Sa also actively participates in agricultural technology transfer training sessions, often asking staff to guide local people. With the spirit of "if one person knows, everyone knows", she considers sharing knowledge as a way for the whole community to move forward. "In the past, I didn't know anything, I had to grope little by little. Now that I have the opportunity, I can't keep it to myself," she said.

Evaluating Ms. Ho Thi Sa, Ms. Le Thi Quynh Tuong, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of A Luoi 4 commune affirmed: “Ms. Sa is a model of perseverance for ethnic minority women. Not only does she overcome her circumstances to develop the economy, she also spreads the spirit of self-reliance throughout the village. She is the pride of women in A Luoi 4”.

In 2023, she was honored to receive a certificate of merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee (now Hue City) for her outstanding achievements in economic development and new rural construction. For her, the greatest achievement is the positive innovation in the land that was once considered a "dead land", when young people in Dong Son no longer leave their villages but choose to stay and start a business on their homeland. "I just hope that my cow farm is a small source of inspiration for those who want to start. If I can do it, others can do it too," said Sa happily.

SEA ICE

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/kinh-te/nong-nghiep-nong-thon/nguoi-phu-nu-pa-co-truyen-cam-hung-tu-hanh-trinh-vuot-kho-vuon-len-156127.html