Tan Thanh's journey towards sustainable poverty reduction.

QTO - Tan Thanh commune is undergoing significant transformation thanks to the flexible application and effective implementation of policies from the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. New livelihood models, newly extended roads connecting to each hamlet, and sturdy houses are gradually emerging, igniting new vitality and creating a solid foundation for many poor and near-poor households to improve their lives and move towards sustainable development.

A pillar for sustainable development

Tan Thanh commune was formed by merging three communes: Hoa Phuc, Hoa Tien, and Hoa Thanh (formerly Minh Hoa district). It is a mountainous area with 12 villages and 1,378 households. Its vast and complex terrain, scattered population, and economy primarily based on agriculture and forestry present the locality with many unique challenges.

Speaking with us, Cao Thanh Hai, Secretary of the Tan Thanh Commune Party Committee, said: “Despite starting from a difficult point, thanks to the unity and determination of the entire political system, and the efforts of the people, Tan Thanh has made significant progress. Programs and policies for socio-economic development in the ethnic minority and mountainous regions have been implemented synchronously and practically, creating a strong impetus to help people improve their lives, especially poor and near-poor households. The results achieved are an important foundation for us to continue towards the goal of sustainable development.”

Roads are prone to prolonged flooding after heavy rains, hindering infrastructure development - Photo: HC

During the implementation of national target programs, Tan Thanh commune has always closely followed the realities of local life and flexibly applied the mechanisms and policies of the Central Government and the province. In particular, the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has become one of the important pillars of the locality. Projects supporting production, diversifying livelihoods, and developing household economic models have been implemented with a focus on key areas, tailored to each target group.

Simultaneously, training courses on the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge are regularly organized, helping people confidently apply new models and change their traditional production mindset. People are gradually approaching sustainable economic methods, creating stable income sources and opening up opportunities for many poor and near-poor households to improve their lives.

Inspiring the people's spirit of overcoming difficulties.

Speaking about the results of implementing the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the locality, Mr. Dinh Van Chinh, Chairman of the Tan Thanh Commune People's Committee, said: “The commune has supported the construction of houses for 16 households, helping families have stable housing and feel secure in developing their economy. In livelihood development, Tan Thanh has supported more than 1.1 billion VND to form many effective economic models, creating conditions for people to increase their income and expand new production directions. Specifically in Yen Van village, a particularly difficult ethnic minority area, over 7 billion VND has been invested in building internal field roads, canals, village transportation, and supporting crop seeds. This has contributed to improving and creating positive changes in the lives and production conditions of the people.”

Mr. Dinh Huu Thiem, from Kien Trinh village, is one of the exemplary figures in economic development in Tan Thanh commune. From a family facing many difficulties, he invested in raising wild pigs and now maintains a herd of nearly 100 animals, bringing in an income of over 300 million VND per year.

Mr. Thien shared: “After participating in technical training courses, I have clearly understood the process of caring for livestock, preventing diseases, and building a safe livestock farming model. Especially, thanks to the support of the local government and resources from programs and projects, my family's livestock farming model is developing and has a stable output. This is also the motivation for me to continue expanding the scale of production.”

Mr. Dinh Huu Thiem in Kien Trinh village earns over 300 million VND per year from his wild boar farming model - Photo: HC

Mr. Thiem also hopes that the people in the commune will change their way of thinking and doing things, not waiting for or relying on support, but proactively finding suitable development directions to rise out of poverty. His economic model is a vivid example of the effectiveness of policies when implemented correctly, and at the same time demonstrates the self-reliance and determination of the people in the mountainous region to overcome difficulties.

Alongside livelihood support, Tan Thanh also focuses on communication and mobilization efforts to encourage people to participate in poverty reduction programs and projects. Community gatherings and mobile outreach programs have helped people understand their rights and responsibilities, and actively respond to the patriotic emulation movement. Rural infrastructure in the commune is also gradually being improved, with new or upgraded roads, schools, health stations, irrigation works, and water supply systems. Many village cultural centers have been renovated and become cultural and artistic venues, contributing to improving the spiritual life of the people.

Focus on resolving emerging obstacles.

According to the leaders of Tan Thanh commune, despite achieving many initial results, objectively speaking, the socio-economic development of the commune still faces many difficulties. The implementation of the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas is still slow compared to the requirements; many contents with a large proportion of capital, especially operational capital, have not yet been implemented, resulting in a low disbursement rate; some objectives of the program have had to be adjusted and supplemented many times. Although the income of ethnic minority households has improved, it is still much lower than the provincial average.

In addition, essential issues such as inadequately developed infrastructure, undeveloped agricultural land, and access to clean water remain major challenges to the local area's sustainable poverty reduction efforts.

The poverty rate in Tan Thanh commune has decreased by an average of 7.7% per year, with 162 poor households remaining, accounting for 11.7% of the total number of households. The total investment capital for the new rural development program over the past five years has reached 44 billion VND. All implemented projects have been effective, ensuring quality and contributing to the commune achieving 11 out of 19 new rural development criteria. Throughout the commune, 165 poor and near-poor households have had their temporary or dilapidated houses replaced.

“We have learned valuable lessons from implementing sustainable poverty reduction in the locality, emphasizing the need to empower the people, strengthen the socialization of resources, and improve the quality of communication to ensure that people understand and cooperate with the government in programs and projects. During implementation, agencies and units regularly exchange information and coordinate closely to promptly resolve any arising difficulties. In particular, the locality has focused on addressing the issue of stabilizing the population in areas at risk of landslides and natural disasters; linking resettlement with vocational training and creating long-term jobs for the people. This is an important step that helps Tan Thanh not only reduce poverty in the short term but also ensure sustainable livelihoods in the future,” stressed Mr. Dinh Van Chinh, Chairman of the Tan Thanh Commune People's Committee.

In the coming period, Tan Thanh commune will continue to identify socio-economic development linked to sustainable poverty reduction as its central task. The locality aims to accelerate agricultural restructuring towards modernization, applying science and technology, developing high-value economic models; expanding the service and trade sectors; and attracting businesses to invest in rural areas. In addition, the commune will continue to mobilize resources from national target programs, combined with community resources, to invest in essential infrastructure.

Hien Chi

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202512/tan-thanh-with-the-journey-of-sustainable-poverty-reduction-5672d2a/