Villages and hamlets are changing every day.

Thanks to the synchronized and effective implementation of ethnic policies such as housing support, infrastructure investment, education, healthcare, and livelihoods, the lives of the Khmer people in the province have improved significantly, and the appearance of their villages has changed considerably.

The bull race at Thom Ma Ni Mít Pagoda - Thom Mít Pagoda, An Cư commune, is a beautiful tradition of the Khmer people in the Bay Nui region. Photo: DANH THÀNH

These days, the atmosphere of the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year is vibrant throughout the villages and hamlets. Many Khmer families are delighted to celebrate the New Year in their new, sturdy houses. In Hon Queo hamlet, Hon Dat commune, Mrs. Ly Thi Linh's family is busy cleaning and decorating their house in preparation for the New Year. The solidarity house was handed over to her family on this occasion, with funding mobilized by the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions.

According to the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religion, over the past five years, the province has provided housing support to 1,034 households and land support to 51 households, with a total budget of tens of billions of VND, helping many families stabilize their lives. From national target programs, the province invested nearly 90 billion VND in building 367 essential infrastructure projects such as bridges, roads, irrigation canals, health stations, and schools; nearly 20,000 Khmer households received support for decentralized water supply, with a budget of 54 billion VND; and 16 centralized water supply projects were upgraded and expanded with a total budget of nearly 250 billion VND. To date, 100% of communes have roads leading to their centers; nearly 95% of particularly disadvantaged hamlets have rural roads; and 100% of communes have schools and health stations.

As a border commune still facing many difficulties, Giang Thanh today boasts a new look with well-maintained roads and sturdy bridges gradually replacing temporary ones, paving the way for more convenient travel and trade. Infrastructure systems such as the commune center, rural markets, and schools have been invested in comprehensively, contributing to changing the lives of people in the border region. "Before, people had a hard time traveling, mainly by boat. Now, with roads and bridges, people can travel easily, trade is more convenient, and life is more prosperous," said Ms. Thi Manh, a resident of Giang Thanh commune.

The ethnic boarding school system continues to be effective. The province has 9 ethnic boarding schools and 1 vocational school, with nearly 4,500 students. The commencement of construction of primary and secondary ethnic boarding schools in 3 border communes opens up better educational opportunities for children of ethnic minorities. Mr. Lam Van Ba, residing in An Thanh hamlet, Ba Chuc commune, shared: “Hearing the news about the boarding school construction, everyone was happy. Our children will have better learning conditions and a brighter future.”

One of the outstanding highlights is the health insurance policy. Between 2021 and 2025, with approximately 458,000 cards issued, the health insurance participation rate reached 98.6%. In the first few months of 2026, the province provided health insurance support to 138,420 people. For the past two years, three members of Ms. Thi Thu's family, residing in Ba Ly neighborhood, Ha Tien ward, have received free health insurance cards. Ms. Thu said: “Before, whenever I was sick, I was hesitant to go to the hospital because I was afraid of the cost. Now that I have a health insurance card, I go to the doctor immediately when I'm sick.”

Preferential credit has become a leverage to help people develop production. Nearly 16,980 households have borrowed nearly 85 billion VND to invest in livestock farming and crop cultivation, increasing their income. Mr. Chau Sieng's family, residing in O Lam commune, recently received support in the form of breeding cows, machinery, agricultural tools for production, and house construction. "Previously, my wife and I mainly worked as hired laborers, doing whatever work we could find to make ends meet. Since receiving support from the government in the form of houses and breeding cows, our lives have become more stable. I hope these policies will continue to be given attention so that many households have the opportunity to rise out of poverty," Mr. Sieng said.

Beyond caring for material well-being, the policies also focus on preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of the Khmer people. A prime example is the support for building 10 new traditional boats (ghe ngo) with a total cost of 3 billion VND; and the donation of traditional musical instruments and ethnic costumes. These sound and practical policies have contributed to changes in every home and every road, clearly demonstrating that when policies are truly implemented, they create a strong ripple effect, bringing prosperity and happiness to the people. Mr. Danh Phuc, Provincial Party Committee member and Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religion, said: “The most important thing is that ethnic policies truly come into effect, bringing practical benefits. These policies contribute to improving infrastructure, developing the economy , and creating confidence and motivation for the Khmer people to strive for a stable life.”

Currently, Khmer households account for 2.38% of the total number of ethnic minority households in poverty. There are approximately 3,561 Khmer officials, civil servants, and public employees; and about 5,029 Khmer Party members. The total investment capital under the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2025 is over 1,457 billion VND. During the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year, the province provided support to 2,242 poor Khmer households, with a total budget of over 1.1 billion VND.

RENOWNED CITY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/phum-soc-doi-thay-tung-ngay-a482268.html