Young people contribute to enriching the rural area of ​​Son My.

In Son My commune (Lam Dong province), there is a small workshop producing handcrafted products from loofah fibers to supply high-end hotels and resorts domestically and internationally. The owner of this establishment is Vo Xuan Dang, a Master of Economics, who left the city to return to his hometown to choose the path of green entrepreneurship, contributing to the prosperity of his homeland.

Mr. Vo Xuan Dang (in white shirt) in his family's gourd garden.

Green entrepreneurship in our homeland

Born in 1990 in Son My commune, after graduating with a Master's degree in Economics , Vo Xuan Dang had a fairly good job in Ho Chi Minh City. Life in the city opened up many opportunities, but it also made him increasingly worried about his hometown, where the land was still vast, the people mainly engaged in small-scale agricultural production, and their incomes were unstable.

"Many times when I go back to my hometown, I see old loofah gourds left unharvested in the fields, which is a waste. Meanwhile, abroad, loofah fibers are used to make environmentally friendly products, replacing plastic. I thought, why don't I try making something similar?" shared Mr. Vo Xuan Dang.

From old, dried gourds, which were previously discarded, environmentally friendly handicrafts are now being created.

In 2019, he decided to return to his hometown and start growing fragrant gourds on an area of ​​about 5 acres, independently figuring out the processing steps, separating the fibers, and drying them. In the early days, lacking capital and experience, everything was done manually. Many people thought he was "reckless," because growing gourds without selling the young fruit would be difficult to make a profit.

Before production could stabilize, the Covid-19 pandemic struck, products couldn't be sold, and the factory was practically shut down.

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There were times when I felt discouraged, but I realized that if I gave up, all my efforts would be wasted. So I chose to slow down, research the market more thoroughly, improve the design, and enhance product quality.

Mr. Vo Xuan Dang

After the pandemic, as demand for eco-friendly products increased, Mr. Vo Xuan Dang's loofah products began to find their place. From 2023 to the present, his loofah processing facility has consistently received export orders to demanding markets such as the US, Japan, and South Korea, with approximately 120,000 different products including bath sponges, back scrubbers, dishwashing sponges, pet toys, and slippers. All are made from environmentally friendly natural loofah fibers.

In addition, many large hotels and resorts nationwide have also signed contracts to purchase tens of thousands of products.

Many local workers have a stable income thanks to working at Mr. Vo Xuan Dang's production workshop.

Enhancing the value of agricultural products and creating sustainable livelihoods.

To meet the increasing demand, Mr. Dang plans to expand his fragrant gourd cultivation area to 9 hectares by 2025. Of this, 6 hectares will be directly cultivated by his family, while the remainder will be managed in partnership with local farmers. This model provides farmers with a stable market outlet and profits of 50-60 million VND per hectare per crop.

Besides generating economic value from loofah cultivation, the production facility also provides regular employment for nearly 10 local workers.

Ms. Trinh Thi Kim Phuong, from Go Don village, Son My commune, who has worked at the factory since its early days, shared: “Before, I worked in agriculture, and my income was inconsistent. Since working at Mr. Dang's loofah factory, I have had a stable job, earning about 7-8 million VND per month, and it's close to home, allowing me time to take care of my family. The work is meticulous but clean and safe.”

According to Ms. Phuong, what makes workers feel secure and committed to the profession is not only the income but also the friendly working environment, where the owner always cares and provides detailed guidance at each stage to ensure product quality.

Youth union members and young people visit the model farm of Mr. Vo Xuan Dang's family.

For his part, Mr. Vo Xuan Dang said that creating a complete loofah product requires more than a dozen steps, from selecting mature loofahs, soaking, separating the fibers, drying, cleaning, shaping, and sewing the edges.

"I believe that when making goods for export, you can't be careless. The products must be beautiful, durable, and safe for consumers' health," Mr. Dang said.

Thanks to its focus on quality and design, the facility's loofah fiber handicrafts have been recognized as achieving OCOP 3-star standard. This is an important milestone in the journey of establishing the local agricultural product brand.

Commenting on Mr. Vo Xuan Dang's startup model, Mr. Dang Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the Son My Commune People's Committee, said: "Mr. Dang's model of growing loofah for fiber and processing it into consumer products has increased the value of agricultural products, created local jobs, and increased income for the people. More importantly, this is an environmentally friendly production model, a direction consistent with the local goal of building advanced new rural areas."

Growing loofah for its fibers, as Mr. Vo Xuan Dang has done, has breathed new life into agricultural production in Son My. Old, neglected loofahs are now being transformed into exportable handicrafts, generating high economic value, creating jobs, and contributing to environmental protection.

Mr. Dang's entrepreneurial story is proof that the legitimate aspiration to get rich is spreading, contributing to making rural areas not only "new" in appearance, but also "new" in thinking and sustainable economic practices.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/nguoi-tre-gop-suc-lam-giau-cho-lang-que-son-my-410446.html