Not stopping there, she brought the spirit of the mountains and the genuine concerns of ethnic minority people to the 16th National Assembly as the youngest female representative from Thanh Hoa province. That journey was written through perseverance in simple actions—and it was precisely these simple actions that shone forth as noble values ​​in the local villages...

Leaving the city for the forest.

I came to know Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh by chance, but it was a very memorable event in July 2025. At that time, I was a reporter for the People's Army Newspaper, covering the activities of the army helping people overcome the consequences of natural disasters in the western communes of Nghe An province . Typhoon No. 5 that year submerged localities along National Highway 7 in floodwaters. After the water receded, a difficult problem arose: Thousands of households in the communes of Con Cuong, Tuong Duong, and Muong Xen were without clean water due to severe contamination of the water from their wells.

Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh stands beside her garlic products, which are being dried. Photo provided by the subject.

Being at the heart of the crisis, I posted a status update on my personal Facebook page hoping to connect with the community to help the people. Surprisingly, Linh contacted me very promptly. She immediately sent over 150kg of alum and Chloramine B chemicals to help the people of Con Cuong commune disinfect and clean their water sources. This timely action during a difficult time not only helped the people stabilize their lives quickly but also inspired in me a deep admiration for the responsibility of young people towards their community. It was from this encounter that I began to learn more about her journey with the "Forest Garden of the Tho Village" model in Hoa Quy commune.

Few people know that behind that spirit of community service lies a long journey of Linh's connection with the land and the forest. Born in 1990, a member of the Tho ethnic group, Linh studied at the Academy of Journalism and Communication and then had a stable job in Hanoi . A comfortable job in the city is the dream of many, but her concern for her hometown of Hoa Quy—where forests are exploited indiscriminately, the land is barren, and poverty still plagues the people—driven her to make a pivotal decision: to leave the city and return to the forest.

In 2019, Linh returned to her hometown amidst the worries of her family and the skepticism of her friends. With 3 hectares of family forest land, she started from scratch: no large capital, no production experience. Linh did not follow the conventional path of planting acacia trees for timber with an uncertain planting-cutting cycle. She persistently built a multi-layered agricultural ecosystem: large trees sheltered fruit trees, and fruit trees protected medicinal plants under their canopy such as ginger, turmeric, and garlic... She quietly "awakened" the forest with her sweat and the philosophy of "short-term gains to support long-term growth," allowing the forest to sustain itself.

Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh and her OCOP 3-star honey product from Thanh Hoa province. Photo provided by the subject.

That perseverance paid off when products bearing the "Ban Tho" brand were created: fermented honey, ginger, turmeric, garlic... Her fermented honey product proudly achieved the OCOP 3-star standard of Thanh Hoa province. The "Ban Tho Forest Garden" project continuously received prestigious awards such as first prize in the Startup Idea Competition for Youth Union members and young people in Thanh Hoa province, and Linh was honored as an outstanding young person at the provincial level.

Forest farming

If it had stopped at personal success, Linh's story probably wouldn't have had such a profound and far-reaching impact. What's remarkable is that her successful entrepreneurial journey has contributed to changing the mindset and lives of the Tho ethnic minority people in this area.

The family of Mr. Le Van Tam is a prime example of this transformation. Previously, Mr. Tam, like many other households in Hoa Quy, relied solely on acacia trees for income, which was both low and entirely dependent on traders. He recounted: “It takes 5-6 years to grow acacia trees and earn money, and even then, after working for several years, there's often not much left over.” Initially, when Linh encouraged him to join the Ban Tho Cooperative, he had many reservations. But then, from the lush green medicinal herb beds under the forest canopy and the stable honey production from bees, his family's life truly changed. Mr. Tam emotionally shared: “Now it's different. We work year-round and have a steady income. Importantly, we feel secure; we no longer have to destroy the forest, and we can still make a living from it.”

The transformation of households like Mr. Tam's has created a new dynamism for Hoa Quy commune. Comrade Do Tat Hung, Chairman of the Hoa Quy Commune People's Committee, assessed: "Linh's model has yielded clear results. It not only creates livelihoods but also helps change people's awareness of forest protection. This is a suitable direction for the conditions of our mountainous locality."

To date, starting from a small garden, the model has expanded its cultivated area to over 10 hectares, with the participation of dozens of households, especially women and ethnic minorities in the core area of ​​Ben En National Park. The cooperative has developed a system of nearly 1,000 bee colonies, generating billions of dong in revenue each year and creating stable jobs for many local workers. Linh not only provides material support but also directly guides the techniques, helping people completely change their mindset from "exploitation" to "nurturing." This is the core element in building a solid "people's support" base, protecting land and forests right from the grassroots.

Preserve forests sustainably by creating livelihoods.

Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh's journey from his village to the parliamentary arena is a natural continuation of his accumulated experience. Linh's election as a member of the 16th National Assembly with nearly 98% of the vote is proof of the voters' trust in a young person who dares to embark on an entrepreneurial journey.

Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh at her product booth at the Thanh Hoa Province OCOP Product Fair in 2026. Photo provided by the subject.

As the youngest National Assembly representative from Thanh Hoa province, Linh brought a special baggage to the parliament: the baggage of real-life experiences, the smell of sweat on the hillsides, and the deep concerns of the people in the highlands. In the parliament, her voice was never detached from reality. She frankly raised pressing issues: from the risk of cultural erosion, the loss of language and traditional clothing, to the gap between policy and practice.

Linh proposed a sharp policy mindset: "Cultural guardians" must be placed at the center, linking conservation with livelihoods so that culture is not only preserved but also becomes a resource for people's sustenance. She clearly stated: Forest conservation cannot be achieved solely through administrative orders but must be supported by sustainable livelihoods. Her recommendations regarding supporting highland women in accessing markets, capital, and technology, or developing the economy while protecting the environment, are direct reflections of the practical operation of the Bản Thổ Cooperative.

From the barren hillsides of Hoa Quy, greenery is returning, faith is being rebuilt, and great values ​​are being formed from the simplest actions. Nguyen Le Ngoc Linh—a daughter of the Tho ethnic group—is persistently on her journey to bring the voice of reality and the people to the highest forum of the nation. She not only awakens the hillsides but also awakens faith in the power of young people dedicated to serving the community.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-17/tu-vuon-rung-ban-tho-1037294