The villages are undergoing a transformation.

Models of effective mass mobilization are flourishing.

The communes of Trung Lèng Hồ and Sàng Ma Sáo are about 40-50km from the Bát Xát district town. However, about 10 years ago, it took half a day's journey, involving trips by vehicle, on foot, through forests, and across streams. But now, the remote villages have become closer thanks to smooth concrete roads connecting them for trade and culture. Returning to the highland districts of Bát Xát after 10 years, I was amazed by the changes in the Hmong villages there.

Mr. Vang Seo Say, Head of the People's Mobilization Committee of Bat Xat District, took me on his motorbike to Sang Ma Sao commune, chatting animatedly along the way. Mr. Say was very pleased with the results achieved by the people's mobilization work over the past years, especially in the Mong ethnic minority villages. The most notable example is the successful mobilization of the people to wholeheartedly implement the goal of building new rural areas. A life of warmth and prosperity unfolds when the people are receptive to and follow what is good and right.

The effective propaganda models implemented in Bat Xat have been embraced and followed by the people, yielding many positive results.

While driving along the road, Mr. Vang Seo Say suddenly turned and stopped in front of a house that still smelled of fresh paint. It was the house of Mr. Ly Seo Sang, in Chu Phin village, Sang Ma Sao commune.

The Ly Seo Sang family used to be the poorest in the village. Because of their poverty, Mr. Sang simply thought about letting his children drop out of school to earn money to support the family. Thanks to the encouragement from official Say and the commune's People's Mobilization Committee, he realized that education was the only way to change their lives.

"If it weren't for the officials who encouraged my children to go to school, perhaps poverty and hunger would still be plaguing my family and my children. Now my children all have university degrees and are working to earn money to build a big house for their parents," Mr. Sang said.

The head of the Bat Xat district's Mass Mobilization Department, Vang Seo Say, went to the grassroots level to campaign and encourage people to abandon outdated customs and participate in forest and environmental protection.

Over a steaming cup of tea, we chatted about the changes in the village. The changes weren't just in daily life; the biggest change, the shift in mindset, was what transformed each family here. "The Ly Seo Co family over there escaped poverty, their children are no longer uneducated, and they're getting married early – all thanks to listening to the village officials," Sang said, pointing to a house in the neighboring hamlet.

Mr. Sang recounted that Ly Seo Co's family has two daughters, now in their twenties. However, seven or eight years ago, when they were only 13 or 14, following the age-old customs of the Hmong people, Mr. Co intended to force them to drop out of school and get married, fearing that further education would leave them unmarried. The district and commune's mass mobilization committees spent a whole month trying to persuade Mr. Co and his wife before he finally understood that allowing his daughters to marry at 13 or 14 was against the law and that they needed to get an education to escape poverty. Now, both daughters are over 20 years old and have jobs in the town. He even mentioned that his eldest daughter is about to marry an official from the city.

The story of Mr. Sang or Mr. Co changing their way of thinking is not uncommon in Bat Xat. A series of initiatives to abandon outdated customs and promote socio-economic development have been implemented over the years, becoming a competitive movement throughout the district, especially in villages with large ethnic minority populations.

Mr. Vang Seo Say recounted that in Trung Leng Ho commune and Sang Ma Sao commune, the district mobilized people to implement a model for reforming outdated customs in the funerals of the Mong people, encouraging them to abandon the custom of exposing the deceased to the sun and slaughtering buffalo as a ritual before burial.

In Choan Then and Lao Chai villages, Y Ty commune, there is a model for cleaning village roads and alleys implemented by the women's association. In Ta Co Thang village, Trinh Tuong commune, there is a model for house renovation and environmental sanitation, contributing to a noticeable change in the Mong ethnic village. Meanwhile, in Na Rin village, Muong Vi commune, the Youth Union of the commune is implementing a model to prevent child marriage and consanguineous marriage among its members and young people.

In the economic sector, there have been many successful models of production and business among ethnic minority communities in recent times. A prime example is Mr. Vang Van Suong, a Giay ethnic minority from Muong Vi commune, who opened a lemongrass essential oil extraction factory and established the Muong Kim Cooperative, generating 1.2 billion VND in revenue per year, and was honored as an outstanding Vietnamese farmer in 2022.

The movement to promote skillful mass mobilization has contributed to changing the face of ethnic minority areas in remote and isolated regions of Bat Xat district ( Lao Cai ).

Or consider the bee and cricket farming model of Mr. Vu A Cac in Trinh Tuong commune; the native black pig farm of Mr. Lo Lao Ta in A Mu Sung commune; the collective models of commercial horse breeding by the Giay ethnic group in Muong Vi commune; the Tai Nung pear cultivation model of Dao households in Kin Chu Phin village, Nam Pung commune; the model of Ha Nhi women engaging in community tourism in Choan Then village, Y Ty commune…

To ensure that mass mobilization models are truly effective, the Party Committees of the communes have developed specific plans, assigning tasks to each member of the Executive Committee, closely monitoring each Party branch, participating in Party branch meetings and village meetings to select appropriate content, and jointly finding ways to resolve difficulties and obstacles at the grassroots level. This has improved the quality and effectiveness of mass mobilization work. This has created consensus among the people, contributing to the consolidation of national unity and fostering the people's unwavering trust in the Party's leadership.

Spreading the movement of skillful mass mobilization.

"Changing mindsets, guiding people towards a healthy lifestyle, and finding ways to develop the economy is not something that can be done overnight. Building a movement is difficult, but maintaining it is even more challenging." The Head of the People's Mobilization Committee of Bat Xat District, Vang Seo Say, expressed his concern, adding that the movement can only be sustained when it is in line with the people's will.

Mr. Say recounted that Ban Vuoc commune can be considered a prime example of spreading the mass mobilization movement. To ensure the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" movement resonated with the people, Ban Vuoc commune intensified its propaganda and mobilization efforts, encouraging members of mass organizations and the people to effectively implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, and participate in the implementation of socio-economic development policies as outlined in the commune's Party congress resolution. In particular, the Fatherland Front and other mass organizations continuously innovated their methods and content of activities, and mass mobilization cadres stayed close to the people, understanding their concerns and aspirations in a timely manner to provide appropriate assistance.

Thanks to effective public relations work, security and order in Bat Xat district have basically been brought under control, allowing people to focus on economic development with peace of mind.

In particular, the "Effective Mass Mobilization" emulation movement in Ban Vuoc commune, linked to the implementation of the national target program for building new rural areas, has created a vibrant atmosphere of emulation among all cadres, Party members, and the people. The commune Party committee and government have done a good job of "Effective Mass Mobilization" by integrating it with conferences, soliciting opinions from the people to contribute ideas, experiences, and practical solutions to resolutions, programs, and plans for socio-economic development and the new rural construction program in the locality, thereby creating high consensus among cadres, Party members, and the people.

Mr. Say added that, despite being a mountainous, border district facing many difficulties, Bat Xat district has seen an increasing number of successful "People's Mobilization" models in recent years. During the 2022-2025 period, Bat Xat maintained the effectiveness of hundreds of existing "People's Mobilization" models and implemented 17 new models in communes and towns, notably those aimed at reforming outdated customs in mountainous areas.

In the coming period, the Party Committee of Bat Xat district will continue to strengthen leadership and guidance to promote the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" movement, linking the "Skilled Mass Mobilization" emulation movement with other emulation movements such as: "Promoting the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and style," the "All people unite to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas" campaign; "All people participate in protecting national security"; promoting the diligent and creative spirit of the people, contributing to promoting the increasingly developed local economy and society, and strengthening and consolidating the close relationship between the Party, the government, and the people.

Goodbye Bat Xat, farewell to Trung Leng Ho, Sang Ma Sao, and Ban Vuoc. As I travel along the wide road lined with flowers and foliage, my heart is filled with joy. This joy comes from witnessing the positive changes in these small villages nestled on the mountainside. These changes will be the driving force for Bat Xat to fully utilize its advantages and achieve breakthrough success.

Source: https://dttg.baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/nhung-ban-lang-thay-ao-moi-363298.html