Young leader changes mindset in Hong Ngai B

Energetic, daring, and always at the forefront of every movement – ​​that's how local Party committees, authorities, and people describe Comrade Mua Mi Cha (born in 1996), the village head and Youth Union secretary of Hong Ngai B village. With the innovative mindset of youth, this Hmong leader, along with the Party committee, has been steering the highland village step by step out of poverty and backwardness.

The head of Mua Mí Chá village is campaigning to get the people to abandon outdated customs.

Aspiration to contribute

Located not far from the commune center, the road to Hong Ngai B today is no longer riddled with potholes. Hong Ngai B village has 108 households with 620 inhabitants, 100% of whom are Mong ethnic people. Due to outdated farming practices and fragmented terrain, the poverty rate here still stands at 50%. This is both a major concern for the commune government and a challenge facing the village Party committee, especially its leader.

Welcoming us into his sturdy house, the village head of Mua Mi Cha greeted us with a gentle smile. Born in 1996, after graduating from high school, due to family circumstances, Cha did not pursue higher education but stayed in his hometown to work as a construction helper to earn extra income. His hard work and struggles have helped the young man accumulate a wealth of life experience, maturity, and a deep understanding of the poverty and hardships faced by his fellow villagers.

In 2019, recognizing Chá's enthusiasm and credibility, the local Party committee entrusted him with the role of village militia leader, while also appointing him as the village Youth Union Secretary. In 2020, Chá was elected village head and concurrently serves as the Youth Union Secretary, a position he holds to this day.

Taking on the task at a relatively young age, Chá understood that to gain the villagers' support, he and his family had to be the first to lead. To implement the rural road concreting program, Chá, along with the village's Front Committee, went "door to door" to explain the plan to the villagers. When the plan to build over 1 km of inter-village road and 5 km of road leading to the production area was presented at the village meeting, many households hesitated, reluctant to part with their land and trees.

To set an example, the Mua Mí Chá family proactively donated 100 square meters of their residential land without demanding any compensation. This admirable act by the village head sparked a strong response from the villagers to the land donation movement in Hồng Ngài B. As a result, villagers voluntarily donated over 1,000 square meters of land and contributed hundreds of days of labor to level and pave the roads with concrete. Now, motorbikes and trucks carrying agricultural products can easily access the production areas, opening up opportunities for convenient trade for the people.

Not stopping there, in 2024, when the plan to build a village cultural center was announced, Chá once again "worked his way through the trouble." He mobilized each household to contribute over 27 million VND and gathered more than 100 days of labor to level the ground and lay the foundation.

Mr. Mua Mí Chá, Village Head and Secretary of the Youth Union Branch of Hong Ngai B village.

Movement to build a new way of life

The biggest challenge in the highland villages is not the lack of money or rice, but the outdated customs that have been deeply ingrained for generations. Hong Ngai B is no exception. Aware of this, Cha was determined to implement wedding and funeral customs according to the new cultural norms.

Chá recounted: "Previously, funerals in the village lasted 8-9 days, involving the slaughter of 3-4 cows, and the deceased were not placed in coffins, causing pollution. To change people's perceptions, for some funerals, I had to sit there from morning till night, explaining the pros and cons with the village elders and clan leaders: 'Keeping the deceased in the house for too long shows a lack of compassion and burdens the living with debt from buying the buffaloes and cows.' Through persistent effort, from initial opposition, the villagers gradually changed their minds. Now, funerals only last 2-3 days, and there is no longer the widespread slaughter of buffaloes and cows causing waste."

In addition, he vigorously implemented campaigns to encourage people to move livestock pens away from their homes and maintain environmental hygiene. The habit of letting livestock roam freely was gradually replaced by scientifically managed confinement methods. Notably, thanks to the close supervision of the village head, the school attendance rate for children in Hong Ngai B reached over 90%, and the problems of child marriage and consanguineous marriage, once a major concern, have significantly decreased.

Mr. Mua Mí Chá takes care of his family's pigs.

Excellent economic leader

Not only is Chá skilled in public affairs, but he is also a prime example of economic development and poverty alleviation in the locality. Taking advantage of the land, Chá planned a solid pig farm area for raising commercial and breeding pigs. With a consistent scale of two litters per year, his farm always has 30 to 40 pigs. To ensure a steady supply of feed and reduce input costs, his family has intensively cultivated 0.2 hectares of land for growing corn. This model brings in a stable income of 70 to 80 million VND per year after deducting expenses.

Comrade Cự Minh Long, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thắng Mố commune, affirmed: Comrade Mua Mí Chá is a young, enthusiastic Party member with great prestige among the people. His contributions have helped change the face of the rural area and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people in Hồng Ngài B village.

Bidding farewell to Hong Ngai B as the sun set, the village's loudspeakers echoed across the hillside, instilling confidence that, under the leadership of the young leader Mua Mi Cha, this Hmong village would become increasingly prosperous, peaceful, and thriving.

Notes: Ly Thu

Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/xa-hoi/202606/thu-linh-tre-thay-doi-nep-nghi-o-hong-ngai-b-08775d3/