Changing awareness, helping people escape poverty

Shifting mindset from support to livelihood creation

Giving cows and chickens is an effective livelihood and poverty reduction solution within the framework of projects under the National Target Program (NTPP) for sustainable poverty reduction in the period of 2021-2025, aiming to help people have capital for self-production, create stable income and improve their lives. From the policy of "giving fishing rods, not fish", the most important change in the poverty reduction journey in Con Tien commune is the shift in thinking from "poverty reduction by support" to "poverty reduction by livelihood creation". People no longer just receive support but also know how to exploit, use and replicate production models.

After nearly a year of receiving support, thanks to strict adherence to the trained breeding techniques, the two cows of Ms. Ho Thi Ngoc's family in Ben Tat village have grown healthily. "In addition to receiving support for cows, we were trained in breeding techniques, building airy barns, regularly cleaning and applying silage measures to provide adequate nutrition for the cows, thanks to which the animals have grown well," Ms. Ngoc shared.

Thanks to the application of science and technology in production, the orange model of Mr. Tran Van Thanh's household in Dai Dong Nhat village has developed well - Photo: Bao Binh

Without waiting or relying on the State's support, Ngoc and her husband have proactively diversified their livelihoods. In addition to raising cows, her family also raises pigs and chickens, cultivates rice fields, and grows rubber trees, creating a stable source of income. Thanks to their self-reliance and persistent efforts, Ngoc's family, which was a poor household for many years, has now escaped poverty.

Along with support in terms of plants and breeds, training courses on science and technology transfer have equipped people with the necessary knowledge and skills, helping them apply them in production to achieve higher economic value.

This year, the 2-hectare orange garden model of Mr. Tran Van Thanh, Dai Dong Nhat village has its first batch of oranges. Mr. Thanh said that before, this land was completely abandoned and barren. Realizing the potential for economic development, he boldly proposed to the commune to lease 2 hectares of land to invest in growing oranges. With the support of technology transfer from the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, after 4 years of diligent care, the first orange crop yielded more than 4 tons, with the selling price at the garden reaching 15,000 VND/kg. He estimated that with the tree's ability to adapt and grow well, the upcoming second harvest is estimated to reach about 10 tons of fruit, promising to bring an effective source of income from orange trees.

Strengthening production linkages to increase product value

Con Tien commune currently has 5,051 households with 20,690 people, of which the poverty rate is 5.16% and near-poor households are 3.8%. Faced with this situation, the commune government has paid special attention to sustainable poverty reduction, especially in ethnic minority areas. The commune has identified promoting collective economy and production linkage as an important "lever" to create sustainable livelihoods for the people.

The whole commune currently has 5 cooperatives, 27 cooperative groups, and dozens of farms and ranches in many fields from basic construction, forest product processing, to service business, cultivation and integrated livestock farming. Notably, many production links have been formed, helping people purchase and consume typical products such as pepper grown according to organic standards, while at the same time producing and supplying high-quality seeds to the market.

The private economy, together with the collective economy, has played an important role in linking and supporting each other from production to product consumption. This not only strengthens business activities but also contributes positively to the completion of criterion 13 in building new rural areas. Localities create maximum conditions for people and economic organizations to easily access the State's production development support policies, thereby expanding the scale, developing more business sectors, agricultural services, helping to increase household income and create more jobs for workers.

To effectively reduce poverty, Con Tien strives to implement the project of restructuring agricultural production, focusing on guiding households and production facilities to increase market access, shifting to production of goods linked to consumption according to the value chain. The development of OCOP products is also focused on, in order to increase the value and build brands for local agricultural products.

Vice Chairman of Con Tien Commune People's Committee Do An Chung affirmed that the commune is determined to develop the economy in a sustainable direction, effectively exploit existing advantages, and convert to organic, circular, and green agriculture. Strengthen the application of science and technology in all stages from production to consumption, while promoting propaganda and training to change people's production thinking. In addition, the commune focuses on developing the garden and forestry economy in the direction of goods, developing industry, trade and services. Improve new rural criteria, reduce poverty sustainably, build more new rural model villages and promote administrative reform and digital transformation to serve people more quickly and effectively.

From a difficult land, Con Tien is transforming itself on the journey of sustainable poverty reduction. In particular, efforts to reduce information poverty play a key role in fundamentally changing people's thinking and awareness. Through multi-dimensional communication programs, not only providing people with essential information on poverty reduction policies, science and technology for production, but also strongly arousing the will to be self-reliant and self-reliant in the community, rising up from poverty, building a prosperous life.

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Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/kinh-te/202512/thay-doi-nhan-thuc-giup-nguoi-dan-vuon-len-thoat-ngheo-8391176/