Do not submit to poverty
Late afternoon, in a newly built house still smelling of lime and mortar, Mr. Nong Van Hoa (Doan Ket village, Chi Lang commune, Lang Son province) recounted the long and patient journey of his life.
At the age of "seventy years old", when many people choose to be leisurely, when time advises people to rest, Mr. Hoa decided what few people dare to do: write a petition to escape poverty .
His family was near-poor. His wife was often sick, his son - the only one of working age - was in poor health and could only do light work, so agricultural production was intermittent. When he was well, he went to the fields, when he was tired, he had to rest. His four daughters were all married, each living in a different place, and only occasionally came back to help.
Having a stable place to live, Mr. Hoa said he felt more at ease to continue thinking about raising cows, planting forests and gradually improving his life. Photo: Hoang Nghia.
The house - the biggest asset in his life, the place that should have been his refuge in old age, but has been old and dilapidated for a long time, every time it rains it leaks, the walls are wet, in winter cold winds blow straight into the house...
On rainy nights, the whole family was kept awake by the sound of the wind on the roof and the fear that if a single tile were to come off, everything would become even more precarious. The deterioration of the house was like the layer upon layer of poverty, making time pass more slowly and longer, but Mr. Hoa never allowed himself to give up.
Two cows, a thousand trees and persistent self-reliance
At the beginning of 2025, Mr. Hoa started a new journey when his family received support for two breeding cows from the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction. Thanks to good care, the two cows are healthy, growing fast, and are about to give birth to their first calves.
For many poor households, that is a big asset, but for him, it is hope, a revolving capital source to revive the family economy . He said, when a cow gives birth, he takes care of it and sells it, he has money to buy medicine, repair the house, and invest in gardening. One cow may be a bit lucky, but two cows are the start of a long-term plan.
Not only relying on the support of cows, Mr. Hoa also worries about additional livelihoods to stabilize his life. Recently, thanks to the contribution of his four daughters and a loan from relatives, he was able to build a new house to replace the old, degraded roof. With a new house, the rainy season is less severe than before. With a secure place to live, he feels more secure to continue raising cows, planting forests and gradually improving his life.
Determined to stick to his plan, he recently planted more than 1,000 eucalyptus trees. Because eucalyptus trees are planted on sloping, windy and sunny land, the effort is not small. Each tree is like a new lifeline planted in the ground, waiting for the day of green growth.
"As long as I am in good health and have the support of my children, I can plant forests and take care of cows, and my economy will improve," Mr. Hoa said firmly. That is not a statement to prove himself, but a belief that as long as I am in good health and can do things, my life will gradually change for the better.
Poverty Escape Application and the Dignity of a Life
In the context of still many shortages, what surprised and made many people in Doan Ket village was that Mr. Hoa voluntarily wrote a petition to escape poverty. He said that he had a new house, a herd of breeding cows, and a forest to take care of. Although his life was not yet full, he had a direction to walk on his own, and did not want to continue receiving support when he could still try. Because according to him, the support should be for households that were in more difficult circumstances and did not have the same opportunities as him.
Mr. Hoa's family carefully raises two breeding cows, hoping to have a more stable source of income in the coming years. Photo: Hoang Nghia.
He spoke slowly and simply, touching the listener: "I voluntarily wrote an application to escape poverty, I don't want to rely on the State forever. Out there, there are still many people who are worse off than me."
Ms. Dang Thi Lien, Party Cell Secretary and Head of Doan Ket Village, believes that Mr. Hoa's decision is worth learning from. She said that his family used to have difficulties, she was sick all the time, but still tried to overcome, now has a new house, breeding cows, and planted forest. Dare to stand up and ask to escape poverty is a step that requires courage, especially for the elderly, because it is not only changing a policy but also changing one's own position.
The eucalyptus tree was still small, the cows had not yet calved, and the economy still needed time to stabilize. But his spirit of escaping poverty was clearly taking shape like the shape of a young tree growing day by day. The application he wrote in his elderly handwriting was sometimes shaky but very decisive and steadfast.
A piece of paper but contains the dignity of a lifetime of hardship without bowing his head. People call it escaping poverty, but for him, perhaps it is a way to maintain self-respect and pave the way for those less fortunate to receive what they need.
Source: https://sonnmt.langson.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/chan-nuoi-thuy-san-va-thu-y/tu-nguyen-thoat-ngheo-o-tuoi-xe-chieu.html
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