Poverty reduction communication in Tuyen Lam commune: "The rain soaks the soil"

In recent times, Tuyen Lam commune, Quang Tri province has creatively, synchronously and flexibly implemented communication work on poverty reduction with the motto "slow and steady wins the race" for ethnic minority people. Thanks to that, people's awareness has been significantly raised, creating positive changes in economic development and poverty reduction.

The 5-hectare cassava field in Cao village, Tuyen Lam commune is promising to provide local people with additional income - Photo: XV

Tuyen Lam is a mountainous commune located in the Northwest of Quang Tri province. There are 4 villages here where ethnic minorities live, including: Ban Ke, Ban Cao, Ban Chuoi and Ban Ca Xen. Most of the people here are Ma Lieng people of the Chut ethnic group. Previously, due to lack of information, knowledge, self-sufficient production methods, and backward farming practices, people's lives faced many difficulties, and the poverty rate was still high.

To reduce poverty for ethnic minorities in the area, the local government has implemented many support policies and strategies, focusing on communication work on poverty reduction. “Determining communication is a key task of the locality in poverty reduction. Therefore, the Party Committee and People's Committee of the commune have used loudspeaker systems, village meetings, and community communication teams to propagate and provide information to the people. Since then, local people have gradually understood their rights and responsibilities and have begun to change their thinking, becoming more bold in economic development,” said Party Secretary and Chairman of the People's Committee of Tuyen Lam Commune Dinh Xuan Thuong.

Along with the daily propaganda loudspeaker system, through many programs and projects, the commune also coordinates with related units to organize dozens of technical training courses, guide preferential credit loans, support health insurance and housing for poor households. Community communication teams also regularly visit people's homes to thoroughly advise ethnic minorities on animal husbandry, cultivation, forest protection (BVR), and instruct on the use of agricultural tools and machinery for socio-economic development.

"Tuyen Lam commune has 224 households and 858 ethnic minority people, of which about 80% are poor households. To escape poverty, many households have built effective economic models, some of whom have gone to work far away or abroad for a limited period of time. People also actively participate in protecting thousands of hectares of community forests, so they have a good source of income. In the coming time, the locality will continue to promote communication on poverty reduction, invest in infrastructure, and build livelihood models to help many ethnic minority households in the commune escape poverty...", Vice Chairman of Tuyen Lam Commune People's Committee Tran Nhan Son emphasized.

Mr. Cao Nhu Y, in Chuoi village, shared: “In the past, due to lack of information and knowledge, my family's life mainly depended on slash-and-burn farming, hunting and collecting wood from the forest to sell. Although the work was hard and illegal, hunger and poverty still followed. Since participating in training courses on knowledge about livestock raising, planting, and forest protection to develop the economy, my family's life has improved day by day.”

In 2024, Mr. Y received support from the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period, phase 1 (2021-2025) for 6 breeding bamboo rats. Before raising bamboo rats, Mr. Y visited and learned about bamboo rat breeding models in the area. When he brought the bamboo rats home, commune officials came to his house to instruct him on how to build cages, care for them, and prevent diseases.

To date, Mr. Y's bamboo rat herd has grown to 20, worth tens of millions of dong. In addition to raising bamboo rats, Mr. Y also raises buffalo and free-range chickens, so his income has improved significantly. In his spare time, he and his wife patrol and control the forest with the community. Thanks to that, in 2024, Mr. Y's family received more than 25 million VND in forest protection money.

The bamboo rat farming model of Mr. Cao Nhu Y, in Chuoi village is developing well - Photo: XV

Previously, in the reclaimed land area in Cao village, people grew corn and peanuts but the yield and output were not high. Seeing that, Tuyen Lam Commune People's Committee promoted and mobilized people to switch to growing high-yield cassava. Mr. Pham Van Hai, a civil servant of Tuyen Lam Commune Economic Department, said: "To help people switch to growing cassava, the Commune People's Committee sent cadres to people's homes to promote, mobilize, and provide technical guidance. After that, we bought seeds and fertilizers, then held hands, showed people how to plant, care for, and prevent pests and diseases." Thanks to that, the 5-hectare cassava field of 30 households in Cao village has grown well, promising to bring in a good source of income in the near future.

Mr. Ho Binh, a resident of Cao village, confided: “For a long time, people have mainly grown cassava on the fields to get the tubers to eat. Now, with the guidance and help of the commune officials, we have been able to grow high-yield cassava on flat land for sale. Seeing the cassava fields growing green and lush with many tubers, I am very happy. Hopefully this year, cassava will sell for a good price.”

Ca Xen village has 57 households and 203 people. Before 2020, all households in the village were poor. To help people escape poverty, the local Party Committee and government always pay attention to and implement ethnic policies, take care of people's lives and production, and coordinate with units and organizations to promote career guidance and find jobs for people.

Secretary of the Party Cell of Ca Xen village Ho Chi Thanh shared: “Thanks to the propaganda and training in science and technology, many people have boldly borrowed capital to develop livestock and farming or go to work far away. Currently, Ca Xen village has dozens of workers working far away, earning from 8-10 million VND/month; 4.6 hectares of land for two-crop rice cultivation, ensuring enough food for the people. In addition, people also grow dozens of hectares of forest, corn, peanuts, cassava, potatoes, vegetables; raise over 2,000 livestock and poultry of all kinds. Up to now, 6 households in the village have escaped poverty.”

Although the lives of ethnic minorities in Tuyen Lam commune still have many difficulties, it can be affirmed that communication work on poverty reduction has helped to significantly improve people's awareness, material and spiritual life.

Spring King

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/truyen-thong-giam-ngheo-o-xa-tuyen-lam-mua-dam-tham-dat-196063.htm