Early on a weekend morning in Phong Tho commune, Lai Chau province, clouds still blanketed the mountain slopes. From the Huoi Luong Border Guard Post, Lieutenant Cao Duc Duong, Team Leader of the Community Mobilization Team, and Major Mua A Giong, a member of the Community Mobilization Team, drove us on motorbikes, navigating steep slopes and hairpin bends to reach Ngai Cho 1 village in Phong Tho commune.

Sitting in the back of the car, I held my breath several times as we navigated the winding roads along the deep ravines. The road was only a little over ten kilometers long, but it was enough to understand why the lives of the people here are still so difficult. Our stop was the small house of Phàng Thị Chua's family (currently a 4th-grade student at Huổi Luông Ethnic Boarding Primary School). Chua lost her father at a young age, and her mother, Sùng Thị Xê, single-handedly raised three young children and her elderly mother in a house perched precariously on the mountain.

Officers and soldiers of the Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Post, Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command, guide local people on installing digital transformation software on their phones. Photo: HANH PHUC

Understanding the difficult circumstances of Ms. Xe's family, in September 2024, Chua was sponsored by the Huoi Luong Border Guard Post under the "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Posts" program. Each month, she receives 500,000 VND from the contributions of officers and soldiers in the unit. Major Mua A Giong gently patted Chua's head, inquired about her studies, and then took a few packets of candy from his military bag. Chua softly replied, her eyes shining with barely concealed joy. "Before, there were times when my mother considered letting me drop out of school to stay home and look after my younger siblings. Thanks to the Border Guard officers' help, I can still go to school, and I really enjoy going to school," Chua whispered.

Leaving Ngai Cho 1 village, we continued our journey to the family of Giang Mi Xo in Can Thang village, Phong Tho commune. Her father passed away early, and her mother works in the fields year-round, leaving them perpetually in poverty. Thanks to the support of the Huoi Luong Border Guard Post since 2021, Xo is now a 10th-grade student at the Phong Tho Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center. “If it weren’t for the Border Guard’s help, Xo would have had to drop out of school a long time ago. My daughter and I will never forget their kindness,” shared her frail mother, Giang My Lu, emotionally.

Hearing that simple saying amidst the border mountains, we suddenly understood that sometimes, what keeps a child engaged with literacy is not just money, but also the belief nurtured by the love and care of the border guards.

Not content with simply nurturing young minds in the border region, the officers and soldiers of Huoi Luong Border Guard Post are also deeply concerned about the livelihoods of the local people. Using their meager salaries and socialized funding, the post has implemented many effective economic models to help the people overcome poverty.

Officers of Huoi Luong Border Guard Station implement the "Borderland Lesson" program.

The family of Mr. Cheo Ly Phu in Lang Vay 1 village, Phong Tho commune, is one of the households that received support from the unit for a pig breeding model since the end of 2024. At that time, his family was among the poorest in the village, struggling to make ends meet year-round. Five piglets, worth about 10 million VND, were brought to his home by the officers and soldiers. Besides providing the piglets, they also helped build the pigpens and provided guidance on care techniques. Standing beside the clean pigpens, Mr. Phu smiled kindly: “I recently sold three pigs, and I had enough money to level the rice fields near my house, almost 20 million VND. Now I just hope the sows will reproduce more so my family will have enough to eat and save.” At this point, Mr. Phu turned to look at the border guards as if to express his gratitude.

Not only at Huoi Luong Border Guard Post, but for more than 10 years, along the entire border of Lai Chau, the imprint of the Border Guard has been deeply etched in the changes of the villages. From the dirt roads that were slippery when it rained and dusty when the sun came out, officers and soldiers have worked with the people to open more than 121km of new rural roads and build nearly 19km of irrigation canals with more than 6,200 man-days of labor. Dozens of cultural centers, classrooms, boarding houses, and border shelters have been built amidst the mountains and forests. Hundreds of poor households have received livelihood support to gradually escape poverty.

Economic development models have gradually taken root in the border region, such as: concentrated livestock farming in Hung Peng; assisting the Mang people in cultivating wet rice in Hua Bum; supporting the La Hu people in growing two rice crops and raising cattle in Pa U; and models for raising salmon and sturgeon in Si Lo Lau... Even more valuable is that these models have helped many people change their way of thinking and doing things, becoming more proactive in production to escape poverty. The Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard also persistently works with local authorities to encourage people to abandon outdated customs, build a new cultural life, and preserve ethnic identity while developing the economy...

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Binh Thang, Deputy Head of Political Affairs, Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command, shared: “These actions are the people-oriented culture of the Ho Chi Minh Army. Every household escaping poverty, every child attending school, every outdated custom being eradicated... all bring joy to the officers and soldiers of the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard. We only hope to contribute a small part to the development of the border region, so that the people can have a more prosperous and happy life.”

As evening fell over the Phong Tho border mountains, the cheerful chirping of children echoed from the schoolyard. Smoke drifted from the chimneys of houses nestled on the mountainside. In that moment, we suddenly understood that peace on the border is not only maintained by border markers or patrols, but also nurtured by human kindness and the silent sharing that reflects the people-centered culture of the border guards towards the people living in the border regions of our country.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/se-chia-yeu-thuong-uom-mam-hanh-phuc-1041413