Former Youth Volunteer Corps member Ha Van Dung and his wife from Hop Tien commune are tending to their bee colony at home. Photo: Le Ha.
Having volunteered in the Youth Volunteer Force in the former Quan Hoa district from 1977 to 1980, Ha Van Dung met and married Bui Thi Ngoc, a virtuous woman. After his service ended, the couple returned to their hometown to start a new life in Trieu Thanh commune, formerly Trieu Son district (now Hop Tien commune). Their new life was fraught with difficulties in the beginning. Having received basic electrical training, Mr. Dung continued to work as a household electrical repairman. The couple also reclaimed land to grow rice, raise livestock and poultry, and dig ponds for fish farming to supplement their income. Life in the impoverished countryside continued, and as their children grew older, they needed money for school fees and living expenses. Mr. and Mrs. Dung spent many sleepless nights pondering how to improve their economic situation .
Recognizing the potential of his hometown for reforestation, and seeing many households making a good living from forestry, Mr. Dung boldly "started a business" in beekeeping for honey production. He invested in several beehives and then moved them to a friend's forest to leave them there for the bees to collect nectar. Initially, Mr. Dung and his wife spent a lot of time selecting locations and carefully protecting each beehive to prevent damage from sudden forest rains and storms. Every week, they would visit and harvest honey to sell. At this time, Mr. Dung was the Vice Chairman of the Gardening Association of the commune, which facilitated his access to scientific knowledge for production development. He participated in a beekeeping training course and applied the knowledge he learned quite effectively to develop his business. In the 2000s, he was invited by the Gardening Association and the Farmers' Association of the former Trieu Son district to be an instructor, teaching and guiding farmers in the district and Nam Dong commune, formerly Quan Hoa district, on beekeeping. Passionate about his work, during his years as a member of the Gardening Association, Mr. Dung advised his superiors and helped many households receive training, access loans, and implement production models suitable to the local potential and family economic conditions.
Former Youth Volunteer Corps member Ha Van Dung shared: "Initially, I raised 30 bee colonies, each worth about 700,000 VND. In the beginning, I learned as I went along, and only after three years did I have a stable income from selling honey and bee colonies. All the products were bought by traders and acquaintances."
According to Mr. and Mrs. Dung, beekeeping also faces many risks. There was a time when storms and floods washed away their beehives, causing losses of about 50 million VND... However, with a spirit of overcoming difficulties and willpower honed during their time in the Youth Volunteer Force, Mr. Dung and Mrs. Ngoc always strive to learn and find solutions to overcome challenges. To date, their family owns more than 100 bee colonies. Despite their age, they still go into the forest to harvest honey once every 10 or 10 days. During periods of abundant forest flowers, the bees produce more honey, so the family hires three laborers for harvesting. According to their calculations, over 100 colonies yield 1.5 tons of raw honey, bringing in a profit of over 100 million VND per year. In addition, the family also sells bee colonies and raises 20 colonies at home, combined with digging a pond for fish farming and growing fruit trees.
Mr. and Mrs. Ha Van Dung (far right) are chatting with their comrades.
Besides their hard work and production, Mr. and Mrs. Dung actively participate in local movements, especially helping and encouraging their comrades to develop their family economies; living happily, healthily, and usefully. Together with the association, he mobilized support in terms of funding, labor, and materials to build two charitable houses; and presented two savings accounts to needy members.
Former Youth Volunteer Corps members Ha Van Dung and Bui Thi Ngoc have always upheld the qualities of Youth Volunteer Corps members, overcoming difficulties together to develop their economy, becoming a shining example for the younger generation to learn from and emulate. Now, their finances are stable, their five children have grown up, started their own families, and have stable jobs. For many years, their family has been recognized by the local government as a successful production household.
Le Ha
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/vo-chong-cuu-tnxp-neu-guong-sang-293007.htm
