Creating jobs, bringing joy to old age

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - At the age of 70, Ms. Cu Thi Tinh in Thai Son village, Trung Chinh commune, was worried that she would no longer have enough strength to continue farming, let alone have the opportunity to work in businesses. In 2022, she was accepted to work at Tan Phuc Small Industry Cooperative, weaving handicrafts such as baskets, baskets, and reed pots. Although the work is not hard, it is stable, with an income of about 4 - 5 million VND/month. "During the off-season when there is no work, the cooperative teaches me to weave baskets and reed pots to make a living. We just need to bring the materials home, and we get paid for the number of products we make. Thanks to this job, in years of bad harvests and floods, my family still has a source of income to support us."

Elderly workers at Xuan Loc Agricultural Service Cooperative find joy in their old age through hat weaving.

Ms. Tinh's story is also a common joy for many elderly workers in cooperatives in the province. From agricultural production, food processing to handicraft production, cooperatives not only contribute to the development of the collective economy but also affirm their humane role by "not forgetting" workers beyond the common recruitment age. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Director of Tan Phuc Handicraft Cooperative, said: "My cooperative currently has about 900 seasonal workers, most of whom are from 50 to 80 years old. They are elderly workers, past the recruitment age and their main job is farming. However, they have skillful and patient hands, very suitable for weaving. Creating conditions for elderly workers not only helps the cooperative have a stable human resource but is also a way to preserve traditional occupations."

In Xuan Lap commune, the profession of making banh la rang bua has existed since ancient times. Currently, Xuan Lap Agricultural Service Cooperative with 33 members, most of whom are elderly workers who have been and are attached to this profession, is playing a pivotal role in preserving and developing the profession. Ms. Do Thi Men, 57 years old, a member of the cooperative said: “Making banh la rang bua requires meticulousness and a lot of effort. Elderly people like us are familiar with it and work carefully, so the cakes are both beautiful and chewy. Every day, I can wrap nearly 100 cakes, earning a few hundred thousand VND. Although the amount is not much, it helps us have more income to improve our lives.”

To expand the scale and create more jobs for workers, the cooperative has organized concentrated production, ensured food hygiene and safety, and found outlets for products through specialty stores and fairs. At the same time, in 2020, the Xuan Lap Agricultural Service Cooperative's leaf-shaped cake was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product, thereby further affirming the quality and reputation of the product. Thanks to that, dozens of elderly workers in Xuan Lap commune have regular jobs, and their income is increasingly improved, especially during holidays and Tet - the peak season for cake consumption.

Ms. Mai Thi Tu, representative of Xuan Lap Agricultural Service Cooperative, said: “Making banh la rang bua requires a lot of work, and the income is not as good as working at companies, so most young people in the commune are not interested in this job. However, this is a job that suits the health, experience and skills of the elderly. Therefore, our Cooperative is making efforts to develop the scale of the Cooperative to create more jobs for people, helping the elderly to have income to be proactive in life and feel that their life is meaningful.”

Despite many positive results, creating jobs for older workers in cooperatives still faces many difficulties. “Currently, the workers of Xuan Loc Agricultural Service Cooperative are mainly elderly people. Although they are very hard-working and meticulous, some of them are 70-80 years old and have poor health, so their productivity is not high. In addition, it is difficult for older workers to improve their skills to diversify designs and improve the quality of hats, so the products they make are still quite rustic and not competitive enough in the market,” said Ms. Le Thi Linh, Director of Xuan Loc Agricultural Service Cooperative. In addition, some small-scale cooperatives have limited capital, so they only recruit seasonally; technology and equipment are still lacking, so they cannot expand production and increase employment.

The initiative of cooperatives in Thanh Hoa province to create jobs for the elderly is a humane and effective solution, contributing to the development of the local socio-economy. Not only does it bring income, it is also a way for the elderly to continue to work, contribute, preserve traditional occupations and feel their own value. In promoting the program of building new rural areas and developing the collective economy, this model will continue to play an important role. Thereby, each cooperative is not only a place for production and business but also a common home of the community, a place to connect generations to build a rich and beautiful homeland.

Article and photos: Phuong Do

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/tao-viec-lam-mang-lai-niem-vui-tuoi-xe-chieu-260049.htm