Access to knowledge - the 'key' to poverty reduction

QTO - The farm has a rather modest area, just over 2 hectares, but with her experience, skills, diligence and creativity, Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan (born in 1983), a member of the Women's Union of Hoan Lao commune, has planned everything "in place". Overcoming the days of "all beginnings are difficult", the farm is promising prosperous harvests, becoming a fulcrum for her to continue her journey of poverty reduction, rising to become rich, worthy of the title of a good women's union member in production and business.

With a favorable location in Vo Thuan 2 village, near traffic routes and water sources, after 5 years of investment, Ms. Nhuan's mixed farm has been covered with many types of fruit trees such as grapefruit, orange, Taiwanese custard apple, guava... With limited capital, she is determined to "take short-term to support long-term" and in September and October, she grows shallots, which are easy to consume and quickly recover capital because of the high demand during the Lunar New Year. She also sets aside a suitable area for pepper plants, a plant known as the "queen" of the hilly area. The system of pig, cow, chicken pens... is planned at the end of the garden, ensuring that it does not pollute the environment and affect the family's service business activities.

During the investment process, she participated in many training courses to equip her with knowledge about livestock and farming and had the opportunity to learn valuable experiences from her predecessors. After the investment period, the plants have now begun to yield harvests. In 2025, after deducting expenses, the farm's profit will be about 100 million VND. Although the number is still modest, it has affirmed the right direction and her persistent efforts, and at the same time promises more prosperous crops in the following years.

Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan (left) and the joy of welcoming the sweet fruit season - Photo: NM

Before deciding to invest in the farm, Ms. Nhuan's family had gone through many different jobs but the income was still low, the life of the couple and their two school-age children encountered many difficulties. At this time, Ms. Nhuan sold groceries and managed to make ends meet for her husband to go abroad to work. After two "overseas" trips but the results were not as expected, the couple discussed and decided to invest in developing the farm. Mr. Duong Dinh Sanh, her husband, was the one who stood by his wife and always encouraged her to try her best.

“At the time of investment, we encountered many difficulties due to epidemics and natural disasters, and limited capital. However, with the attention and help of the Women's Union, the Farmers' Association of the old commune and district, and the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, we felt more secure. During the recent African swine fever outbreak, many households in the village and commune were affected, but our pigs were still safe and continued to reproduce. Pepper plants and fruit trees have yielded high-quality harvests, so people are very excited,” Ms. Nhuan shared.

The old Tay Trach is a hilly area, people mainly earn their income from raising livestock and growing crops. Head of the Women's Union of Vo Thuan 2 village, Duong Thi Hong Man, said that in the past, Ms. Nhuan's family was one of the poor families, but in recent years, thanks to investing in the right direction and having knowledge and skills, her family's economy has gradually stabilized. Not only promoting the advantages of raising livestock and growing crops, taking advantage of the favorable terrain with a large lake and beautiful scenery, they also opened more food services and built a volleyball court to meet the needs of local people.

The President of the Women's Union of Hoan Lao Commune, Tran Thi Phuong Ly, affirmed that the comprehensive farm economic model of Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan is very suitable to the actual conditions of the locality, opening up a sustainable development direction for rural women. The Women's Union of the commune will continue to accompany and support Ms. Nhuan in particular and the women's union members of the commune in general in accessing science and technology, connecting to the market, replicating effective models, contributing to increasing income and improving the lives of women in the area.

Sharing about her successes, Ms. Nhuan also affirmed that having access to a lot of information about science and technology, participating in training courses and the companionship and support from the Women's Union of the village and commune have contributed significantly to helping her confidently open new production directions, improve productivity and product quality.

Not only stopping at the initial effectiveness, the couple is gradually standardizing the production process, investing in the farm in an organic direction and building OCOP products. This is a difficult journey but promises sustainable development in the future. Currently, the farm's production process is being built in a closed direction, making the most of livestock by-products, combining yeast to produce organic fertilizers, replacing and eliminating chemical fertilizers, bringing quality products, safe for health and protecting the environment.

The journey of building a farm from scratch of Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan is a vivid proof of the role of knowledge, information and support in helping rural women to overcome poverty and become rich legitimately. Thanks to participating in training courses, accessing science and technology and receiving the support of the Women's Union and other organizations, Ms. Nhuan has confidently implemented a comprehensive economic model, improved productivity, product quality, and gradually stabilized her family's life. She herself was recognized as an excellent production and business member in 2024.

Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan's model not only brings sustainable income but also inspires many other women members to learn and apply knowledge to develop the economy and improve their lives. With the right direction and the support of the association organizations, Ms. Nhuan's farm promises to continue to flourish, contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality. Ms. Thai Thi Nhuan's story is a vivid proof that when women have access to knowledge and information, they can absolutely rise up, reduce poverty and become rich sustainably.

Ngoc Mai

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202512/tiep-can-kien-thuc-chia-khoa-giam-ngheo-7c62822/