Farming and raising livestock with the locals
Looking out from Ta Lo San village of Sin Thau commune over the lush green rice fields stretching at the foot of the mountain, Captain Phan Van Long - Deputy Political Commissar of Sen Thuong Border Post said: "This rice field is the work of the soldiers and the locals. More than 1 hectare of rice is preserved by the soldiers, who guide the locals in tilling the land and taking care of each rice plant. The people are used to farming, so learning how to farm is also a step change."
Not only stopping at rice, in recent years, Sen Thuong Border Guard Station has coordinated to guide people to grow cinnamon and purple cardamom - two crops with high economic value, suitable for the climate and soil of this border area. With 33 officers and soldiers, they organized 10 training sessions, helping 22 households grow 3 hectares of cinnamon; along with 15 soldiers guiding 17 other households to grow 2 hectares of purple cardamom.
“This is a variety of cardamom supported by the Provincial Fatherland Front , and we bought the cows from local households to ensure adaptation. No one understands this land better than the people here,” Captain Long shared about the model of “a united, green - clean - beautiful border residential area” in Ta Lo San village. In the model, six poor households were supported with breeding cows worth 90 million VND. This is not only material support but also trust and long-term companionship.
Not stopping there, it is known that in the coming time, Sen Thuong Border Guard Station will continue to advise and coordinate with local departments, branches and the Fatherland Front Committee of Dien Bien province to deploy more key items in the Project to build a green and clean village. Specifically, the unit will work with the locality to repair schools, build internal roads, support the construction of hygienic toilets, and especially deploy the model of rammed earth houses - the traditional house style of the Ha Nhi people to preserve cultural identity and improve the quality of life.
“Building a new lifestyle without losing national identity is what we aim for in all activities to support people in border areas,” Captain Long added.
Warmth of soldiers on top of A Pa Chai
More than 20km away on forest road, A Pa Chai Border Post (also in the new Sin Thau commune) has its own way of helping people develop their economy. Without much fanfare or noise, they start with small things such as: Supporting 1,300 high-quality fruit tree varieties to be planted in 31 households through the "Border Garden" model.
From the model of "Soldier's Rice Jar" with the spirit of sharing rice and clothes, A Pa Chai Border Guard Station sent 1,525 kg of rice from the daily ration of soldiers to poor households. Children in the highlands here also received special support: 33 children received support for their studies from the Project "Army officers and soldiers help children go to school" and 5 students were sponsored by A Pa Chai Border Guard Station in the program "Helping children go to school" of the unit with a total budget of more than 700 million VND.
Not only advising and participating with local Party committees, authorities and people in economic development, the green-uniformed soldiers in the far west of the country also actively mobilize and call for resources to the border through the model "Lighting up the border area" with 30 solar-powered lamp posts installed at the People's Committee of the old Sin Thau commune, A Pa Chai village and checkpoints on the border line.
"Implementing the motto of Three Sticks - Four Togetherness, officers and soldiers of A Pa Chai Border Guard Station always determine that mass mobilization work in general and helping people develop the economy are the top important political tasks, contributing to promoting the combined strength to firmly protect territorial sovereignty, national border security, and build a peaceful, friendly, stable, cooperative and developing border. When the material and spiritual life of the people is improved, they feel secure to stick to their land and protect their villages, that is also the time when the border is strong", Lieutenant Colonel Pham Quoc Tuan, Political Commissar of A Pa Chai Border Guard Station shared.
Joining hands with units and socio-political organizations, both Border Guard stations proactively connected social resources to support the people. Sen Thuong Border Guard Station coordinated with the Dien Bien Provincial Labor Federation and Soc Trang Provincial Trade Union to present 40 gifts worth 20 million VND to support the "Border Guard Station's adopted children". Small gifts such as rice cookers, electric kettles, and chalkboards were also brought to teachers and students at schools in mountainous areas.
“Helping people is not a movement. It is also an order from the heart. Sometimes it means carrying water to the village, sometimes it means staying in the fields to plant cinnamon, or at night, shining a light on the rice field to see how the plants are doing,” Captain Long confided.
Border Guard Station officers visit village elders in Ta Lo San village.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/quan-ham-xanh-gioi-mam-no-am-noi-cuc-tay-to-quoc-post1763285.tpo
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