Ta Han - when people proactively write applications to escape poverty

In the last days of 2024, Ta Han - a highland village still bears the mark of hardship and deprivation. After Typhoon Yagi , the dirt roads are slippery, and the temporary roofs still show signs of being blown off. However, in the midst of hardship, a turning point has appeared here when people no longer expect or rely on support policies but proactively strive to escape poverty with their own hands.

Escaping poverty is not about having enough, but about changing your mindset and changing your life with your own hands.

Mr. Vu A Ngai, Mong ethnic, born in 1998, is currently the Head of Ta Han village. Having worked abroad from April 2023 to September 2024, Mr. Ngai brought with him the desire to change his life when returning to his homeland. Trusted by the villagers to be elected as the Head of the village, he boldly used all his savings to invest in developing livestock and farming. Currently, his family regularly raises more than 10 pigs, sells two batches each year, grows more than 1,000m² of rice and corn to provide food, builds barns, and earns tens of millions of dong each year, enough to stabilize life, have food and savings.

Mr. Giang A Tru's family built a model of combined farming and livestock farming to develop the economy .

Sharing the same aspirations with Mr. Ngai is the Party Secretary of Ta Han Giang A Tru village. His family has 6 members, cultivating about 2,500m² of rice fields, 5,000m² of corn and cassava. He invested in building a closed production model of crops as feed for a herd of more than 15 pigs per litter, combining the use of agricultural by-products to reduce costs. Thanks to that, his family's income has gradually increased, the family has both food and a stable income, and life has improved significantly. Like Mr. Ngai, Mr. Tru voluntarily wrote an application to escape poverty, a seemingly simple task but has had a significant impact on the thinking of the villagers. "If you become a cadre but cannot escape poverty, what will the villagers think?", Mr. Tru shared.

Ta Han village currently has 109 households with 572 people, of which more than 95% are poor households. Poverty and hardship have been persistent, causing many households to fall into a state of inferiority, waiting for support from the State. Therefore, the pioneering action of the two village officials is considered a breath of fresh air, igniting the spirit of self-reliance and self-reliance in the community. Chairman of Nam Cuong Commune People's Committee Tran Duc Trung Thien highly appreciated the village officials' initiative to ask to escape poverty, considering this a good sign, demonstrating the pioneering spirit, setting an example to spread the will to rise up in the village and other residential areas of the commune.

Ta Han has been having many positive changes. From the pioneering example of the village leaders, people do not cut down forests to make fields, do not rely on subsidies from the State but boldly register for loans for production, learn techniques of raising livestock, growing crops, developing production, and rising out of poverty. Many young people in the village proactively seek jobs far from home, even register to go to Taiwan, Korea, and Japan to work for more income. Corn, cassava, and rice fields that were previously just enough for food have now become a source of goods to serve the market; stables have been solidly invested in, many ethnic households now know how to look far ahead, know how to calculate business, and know how to rise up with their own internal strength.

What is more valuable is the change in thinking of ethnic minorities in the highlands, especially the Mong people. Ta Han people gradually understand that escaping poverty is not just about no longer being hungry or not being dressed, but knowing how to be proactive, proactive in thinking, and daring to change. They no longer expect support but know how to find opportunities for themselves. Since the two pioneering village cadres asked to escape poverty, people have seen results, their confidence has been strengthened, and their motivation has multiplied. "Seeing that the Village Chief and Party Cell Secretary can do it, we also want to follow suit, not wanting to be on the list of poor households forever," a Ta Han villager shared.

The road ahead is still full of difficulties as Ta Han's infrastructure is not yet complete, transportation is still difficult, and agricultural product consumption still depends on traders. However, the local government has identified that promoting the role of the people's internal strength is an important solution to sustainable poverty reduction. Nam Cuong commune is actively coordinating with specialized agencies to open technical training courses, support preferential loans, and guide people to build suitable economic models. Along with that, priority is given to investing in upgrading traffic and irrigation infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for production development.

Although Ta Han is still poor today, it is different from before. People have known how to set clear goals and calculate business plans. From being shy and hesitant, they have now confidently written applications to escape poverty, something that few people thought of before. That action shows a change in awareness, from being helped to helping themselves, from being beneficiaries to being the masters in the poverty reduction process.

Poverty escape application of Ta Han Village Chief Vu A Ngai.

As Vu A Ngai confided: "Although my family still has many difficulties, I feel that I need to contribute to the development of my village and commune, so my family and I voluntarily escape poverty."

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/ta-han-khi-nguoi-dan-chu-dong-viet-don-xin-thoat-ngheo-10394146.html