Hmong female forest rangers silently protect the border forests of Muong Lat.

Born amidst the mountains and forests of Muong Lat, Thao Thi Benh, a Mong ethnic female forest ranger, overcame difficulties to study, quietly stayed in her village, and preserved the green border.

The arduous journey of a Hmong female forest ranger in the border region.

In late May, the scorching sun and dry, hot winds from Laos enveloped the remote border region of Muong Lat. In a small office of about 20 square meters at the Muong Lat Forest Ranger Station, Thao Thi Benh (born in 1995, from Pu Toong village, Pu Nhi commune) gently recounted her journey to becoming a forest ranger, speaking in the simple, unadorned voice of a woman from the highlands.

Officially joining the profession in 2020 and currently working at the Muong Lat Forest Ranger Station, Benh is one of the few female Mong forest rangers working there. Over the past six years, the image of this Mong female forest ranger, traversing forests and crossing streams daily, has become familiar to the people of the highlands. Few know that behind that petite figure lies a journey of overcoming difficulties and a strong will to succeed – a journey of a minority ethnic woman who has repeatedly faced the risk of having her dream of protecting her homeland's forests dashed.

Muong Lat is a mountainous border commune in the Northwest region of Thanh Hoa province, located about 250 km from the city center. Boasting a total natural area of ​​thousands of hectares, it is renowned for its rugged mountainous terrain and vast, pristine ecosystem with diverse vegetation. Photo: Ngo Nhung

Born and raised in a remote border region, Benh understands the hardships of life there. “My childhood was filled with days spent following my parents to the fields, the constant struggle for survival in a farming family in the border area. The road to school was long, and learning conditions were inadequate, but I always harbored the desire to get an education to change my life,” Benh shared with a reporter from the Industry and Trade Newspaper.

According to the Hmong female forest ranger, the years spent studying far from home were a series of hardships. Outside of school hours, she had to work part-time and help with farm work to earn extra money for living expenses. But it was those very months that made her love for the mountains and forests of her homeland grow stronger.

When people learned that Benh had applied to the University of Forestry, many were surprised because the forestry profession is associated with hardship and is often considered more suitable for men. However, the petite Hmong girl remained determined to pursue her choice.

Before patrolling and raising awareness about forest fire prevention and control, Deputy Head of Muong Lat Forest Ranger Station Pham Van Phuong held a meeting to assign tasks and orient the area of ​​movement on a digital map. Photo: Ngo Nhung

“Because I was born in the mountains and saw how closely forests are connected to the lives of the local people, I wanted to study a field related to forestry so that I could return to serve my homeland later,” Benh said, adding that the journey to submit his application for the forestry entrance exam remains a special memory. The person who took Benh to the center of Thanh Hoa that day was his boyfriend, now his husband. The two of them traveled by motorbike for more than six hours from Muong Lat to the center of Thanh Hoa under the scorching summer sun.

“It’s a long way from here down to the center of Thanh Hoa. We left early in the morning and arrived almost after the application deadline. The long journey in the hot sun made me tired, my body was burning up, and at that time everyone thought I had COVID-19,” Benh recounted.

Hmong female forest ranger Thào Thị Bênh during a forest patrol mission. Photo: Ngô Nhung.

Amidst her anxiety about missing the opportunity, Benh received support from the admissions officer to rest, have a health check, and fortunately, her application was accepted that same day. After years of studying and working to make ends meet, Benh returned to her hometown to work. From 2020 to the present, the Hmong female forest ranger has continued to work daily in the remote forests of Muong Lat.

In a rugged mountainous area like Muong Lat, the job of a forest ranger is not easy. Long patrols lasting many hours along steep, slippery roads in the rain, or trips into villages to educate the local people, have become familiar tasks for Benh.

“Some days I leave in the morning and don’t get home until late at night; the forest roads are very arduous. But when I see that the people understand more about protecting the forest, I feel that all my efforts are worthwhile,” Benh said, adding that being a local and speaking the Hmong language gives him many advantages when reaching people in remote areas. Besides managing and protecting the forest, he also mobilizes people to change their perceptions, reduce illegal logging, and raise awareness of forest fire prevention and control.

Thào Thị Bênh and Hà Văn Hóa are among the young ethnic minority forest rangers working at the Mường Lát Forest Ranger Station. Photo: Ngô Nhung

Silently clinging to the forest, preserving its greenery, and staying close to the people amidst the vast borderlands.

Accompanying Ms. Benh on many work trips, Mr. Ha Van Hoa (born in 1996, a Thai ethnic minority, residing in Ban village, Quang Chieu commune) said that the work of a forest ranger in the border region requires great perseverance and responsibility.

According to Mr. Hoa, before returning to work in his hometown of Muong Lat, he had previously worked at the Forest Ranger Station of Ben En National Park. That period helped the young forest ranger accumulate more experience in forest management and protection before dedicating himself to this challenging border area.

“ My time working at the Ben En National Park Forest Ranger Station helped me learn a lot about patrolling, forest management, and handling real-life situations. But when I had the opportunity to return to Muong Lat for work, I decided to come back because I wanted to work near my hometown and contribute to protecting the forest where I was born and raised,” Mr. Hoa shared.

The maps have been digitized and updated on mobile phones, making it very easy for forest rangers to navigate and protect the forest. Photo: Ngo Nhung

Muong Lat is a vast area with difficult roads, and on many days, Mr. Hoa and Ms. Benh have to walk dozens of kilometers to patrol the forest. But everyone is determined to try their best to protect the forest because it is a valuable local resource. Having forest rangers from ethnic minority groups like Ms. Benh and Mr. Hoa makes grassroots awareness campaigns much more effective.

Commenting on the young officers, Mr. Pham Van Phuong - Deputy Head of the Muong Lat Forest Ranger Station - said that Ms. Thao Thi Benh and Mr. Ha Van Hoa are responsible officers who diligently work in their assigned areas and always complete their tasks well.

The coordination between forest rangers, border guards, and police helps improve the effectiveness of forest management and protection in border areas, promptly detecting and preventing violations of forestry laws. Photo: Ngo Nhung

In particular, Mr. Phuong highly praised the Hmong female officials, who are very energetic, unafraid of difficulties, and frequently go down to the grassroots level to propagate and mobilize people to protect the forest. With the advantage of being a local and knowing the Hmong language, coordination with the people is very smooth. "Because they are Hmong, the people respect and trust them. When the propaganda is in the local language, the people understand and accept it more easily," Mr. Phuong remarked.

According to Mr. Phuong, in the border areas of Muong Lat, the forest rangers not only carry out the task of managing and protecting the forest but also play a role of being close to the people, contributing to raising community awareness in the work of protecting forest resources.

Deep within the vast forests of the Muong Lat border region, Thao Thi Benh, a Mong ethnic woman, quietly continues her endless forest patrols. Her journey from a highlander girl who once traveled hundreds of kilometers by motorbike to submit her university application to the forest ranger she is today is a beautiful story of resilience, aspiration, and an enduring love for the green mountains and forests of her homeland.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/nu-kiem-lam-nguoi-mong-lang-tham-giu-rung-bien-gioi-muong-lat-457872.html