Leaders of Luong Son district inspected the construction progress of the Suoi Ben (Lien Son commune) - Chi Ngoai (Hung Son commune, Kim Boi district) road.
Strengthening trust - the foundation for breakthrough
In some places, the implementation of support programs is still heavily imposed, "granting and then withdrawing". But in Luong Son, people do not stand aside. They participate from the beginning: creating investment portfolios, giving opinions on project selection, supervising construction and receiving use. In some places, people are even "companion investors" - contributing hundreds of millions of VND to each community house, even though life is still difficult.
The transparency and democracy in the implementation of Program 1719 have changed the position of the people, from being mere beneficiaries to becoming participants and supervisors. When asked for their opinions, empowered, and trusted, people no longer have the mindset of "waiting for the State to take care of things", but have begun to proactively work with the government to create change. It is this companionship that has aroused one of the most important foundations for development: trust.
The poverty rate has decreased sharply, from 2.82% in 2021 to 0.85% in 2025. This is evidence of a shift in awareness and aspiration from the community itself.
Connecting infrastructure - creating development momentum
In ethnic minority areas, where distance is not only a matter of geography but also a gap of opportunity, infrastructure is not simply a road, an electric pole, or a water tank. Infrastructure is a "lever of opportunity", a condition for people to step out of the vicious cycle of poverty and isolation.
In implementing Program 1719, Luong Son district has clearly identified this. Infrastructure cannot be spread out, but must "hit the right bottlenecks". In the 2021-2025 period, the district has synchronously invested in many highly connected projects, such as: the inter-commune road Suoi Ben (Lien Son commune) - Chi Ngoai (Hung Son commune, Kim Boi) with a total capital of more than 21 billion VND; a clean water project concentrated in Yen Lich village, Thanh Son commune with 3 billion VND from the central budget.
Notably, 100% of community houses built from program funds are invested in coordination according to the motto "The State and the people work together": the central government supports 200 million VND/house, the district budget matches over 1 billion, and the people contribute up to 200 million VND per project. It is not just a matter of financial addition, it is a matter of trust addition, a matter of responsibility addition. When people are no longer outside of public investment decisions, each project built will not only be technically sound but also sustainable in terms of trust.
"Connecting infrastructure is connecting opportunities. Each accepted project is a step to shorten the gap between disadvantaged areas and developed areas" - Comrade Bui Quoc Hoan, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, emphasized.
The roads are opened, but the real goal that Luong Son is aiming for is to open up development space, where people can access the market, public services, jobs and further, access their legitimate dream of rising up.
Promoting internal strength - from beneficiary to creator
In 3 years (2022-2024), the district has organized 60 vocational training classes for more than 1,100 students, mainly ethnic minorities. Classes range from vegetable growing techniques, chicken raising, industrial sewing, rattan weaving, to civil electricity, food processing... are jobs that people can quickly apply on the spot.
Many livelihood models have been formed and expanded. From a few households experimenting with raising goats and growing medicinal plants, there are now cooperatives cultivating red grapefruit, tea, guava, etc., which both create jobs and preserve land, water, and forests. In particular, in some communes, the role of women and prestigious people in the community has been clearly promoted.
Ms. Bui Thi Xuyen in Cao Son commune is one of the clear examples. From a type of wild vegetable - rau sang, Ms. Xuyen has researched how to grow, process and commercialize the product. "Before, I only knew how to go to the forest to pick vegetables, now I can grow clean vegetables around my house, earning several hundred million VND each year. Now that I have a model, I invite other women in the commune to join me. Escaping poverty is no longer a dream, it is something we can really do" - Ms. Xuyen shared.
In the journey of poverty reduction and sustainable development of ethnic minority areas, each locality must find its own formula. Luong Son has chosen to build a "development triangle" as a strategy not only to "escape poverty", but also to "rise up". And if that triangle continues to be maintained, it will not only be Luong Son's own formula, but can become a valuable suggestion for many localities that are looking for solutions to the problem of sustainable poverty reduction in ethnic minority areas today.
Hai Yen
Source: https://baohoabinh.com.vn/12/202046/Tam-giac-phat-trien-vung-dan-toc-thieu-so-o-huyen-Luong-Son.htm
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