Peace and tranquility from every village (Final part)

Việt Nam•31/08/2023

06:51, 31/08/2023

Final part: The typical "key figures" of the village.

With their enthusiasm, energy, and sense of responsibility, young people, along with village elders and respected community leaders, have become the "nucleus" of unity and the "bridge" connecting the Party's will with the people's aspirations to build an increasingly peaceful and prosperous life.

Set an example through entrepreneurial determination.

Driven by a desire to help people change their mindset in production, young Y Thuyl Niê from Ayun hamlet, Cư Pơng commune (Krông Búk district) has made an effort to start his own business with a coffee seedling nursery. With his enthusiasm, he has gained the trust of the villagers, helping them gradually change their perceptions and access modern agricultural techniques.

In 2010, after graduating from the Tay Nguyen Ethnic Minority Youth Vocational College (now Tay Nguyen College of Technology), Y Thuyl returned home to help his family with farming. Seeing that the aging coffee plantation was not yielding any economic benefit, Y Thuyl wanted to replant it, but his family disagreed. He then applied for additional work at a plant nursery in Buon Ma Thuot City.

The coffee garden of Mr. Y Thuyl Niê's family is thriving and providing a good income.

Recognizing the great demand for quality seedlings and the desire of local people to access coffee cultivation techniques, Y Thuyl decided to return to his village to start a business with a coffee seedling nursery model combined with technical advice on cultivation. He also persuaded his family to switch crops, intercropping fruit trees in their coffee plantation, bringing in nearly 500 million VND per year. To further improve his agricultural knowledge, Y Thuyl actively participated in agricultural training courses organized by youth organizations at various levels and also learned independently from online groups and information on social media.

Y Thuyl shared: “To have such a thriving nursery today is the result of a long process of effort and persuading family members to change their mindset and farming practices. The land of our homeland is fertile, and the policies of the Party and State always show concern for ethnic minorities. With determination and hard work, we can legitimately prosper on the land of our ancestors.”

In just two years, Y Thuyl's nursery became a trusted place for people to buy seedlings and learn about and exchange advancements in science and technology in agricultural production. Y Thuyl's entrepreneurial determination is a vivid example of mobilizing people to change their mindset and methods, develop the economy to improve their lives, and achieve legitimate wealth in their homeland.

Contributing to preserving the riverbanks and forests.

As a respected figure, for many years, Elder Y Wih Êban, Secretary of the Party Branch of Kmrơng Prông B hamlet, Ea Tu commune (Buôn Ma Thuột city), has consistently propagated and encouraged the people and descendants in the hamlet to preserve the culture, customs, and traditions of their ancestors; especially the forest and the headwaters of the hamlet.

Unity is strength, the most solid "battleground" in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Mass mobilization is the core of mobilizing the masses in building national unity. To ensure a strong national unity, local authorities, agencies, and organizations need to be close to the people, listen to their concerns and aspirations, and understand the specific characteristics of each region. At the same time, they must leverage the role of Party branch secretaries, village heads, influential people, especially the younger generation in the villages, to spread and enhance the effectiveness of the skillful mass mobilization movement.

Former Provincial Party Secretary Y Luyện Niê Kđăm

In the village of Kmrơng Prông B, no matter the time of year, one can feel the fresh, peaceful atmosphere, especially when admiring the tall, ancient trees casting their shade and reaching towards the sky; the cool, refreshing water from the headwaters flows silently for hundreds of years, irrigating the rice fields and lush green orchards… Regularly, in January and February each year, dozens of bee colonies come to build nests in the forest trees. Honey from nature is a precious gift that the villagers cherish, and they further protect the forest and the headwaters.

Elder Y Wih shared that, according to stories passed down from his grandparents, over a hundred years ago, when the village was first established, there were only eight households, but everyone knew how to protect the forest and the water source using ancient customs. According to these customs, anyone who destroyed the forest had to be punished by offering sacrifices such as buffaloes and cows to atone to the spirits and the village. Because this was the headwater forest, the common source of the village, everyone obeyed and relied on the forest for their livelihood and development.

Now, the village uses a customary agreement, stipulating that anyone who cuts down or destroys forest trees will be brought before the village hall and reprimanded in front of the entire community. As a result, the villagers are all conscious of protecting the headwater forests. Anyone who cuts down trees is discovered by the villagers and reported to the village elders and relevant authorities for handling.

Relying on the forest and water resources, the villagers confidently developed agriculture, cultivating coffee, durian, and other crops. As a result, the economic life of the villagers in the hamlet has steadily improved over the years. The hamlet has 335 households with 1,270 inhabitants, and currently only 8 households remain poor or near-poor. The hamlet's forest covers more than 5 acres with hundreds of trees, including dozens of valuable ancient trees, so large that it would take twenty or thirty people to encircle them. Elder Y Wih remembers the names of all the ancient trees in the forest, such as Na Tơng, Na Plang, Na Klet, Na Trul… He always reminds the villagers and his descendants to protect the water source and the forest because water is essential for life, and the forest will protect the village.

Despite numerous ups and downs, the forest and water source remain the most valuable assets of the people of Kmrơng Prông B village. To preserve these green spaces, the entire political system has joined forces, and above all, respected elders and respected village leaders, including Elder Y Wih Êban, have diligently propagated and guided their descendants through generations.

Dedicated female village leader in her 20s

In 2014, after graduating from the Faculty of Literature and Linguistics Education at Tay Nguyen University, H'Lien Nie decided to return to Ea Liang village, Cu Pong commune (Krong Buk district). Dedicating her youth to the village, H'Lien focused on developing her family's economy while actively participating in local activities and movements. Her enthusiasm and knowledge earned her the trust of the villagers during community mobilization efforts. Because of her approachable nature, credibility, and the affection she received from the people, H'Lien was elected village head in April 2022.

Village chief Ea Liăng H'Liên Niê (far left) participates in discussions about community outreach work.

Ea Liang village is home to seven ethnic groups, with 225 households and 1,035 inhabitants, of which the Ede ethnic group makes up the majority with 171 households…; their main income comes from coffee cultivation. Village head H'Lien has actively encouraged villagers to diversify their crops and livestock, planting short-term crops to increase income; intercropping coffee gardens with high-value fruit trees… As a result, the lives of the people have improved, and many households have risen out of poverty. While in 2022, Ea Liang village had 64 poor and near-poor households, this number has now decreased to only 48. In addition, H'Lien has organized and encouraged villagers to participate in cultural and sports activities, establishing a volleyball team and a folk dance team. Thanks to H'Lien's enthusiasm, the village's cultural, artistic, and sports movements are becoming increasingly vibrant. The Ea Liăng village volleyball team won first prize in the 2023 Cư Pơng commune volleyball tournament. At the 2023 Krông Búk district's excellent mediator competition, H'Liên was also a member of the Cư Pơng commune team participating in the competition and contributed to helping her team win first prize overall…

Upon learning that there were individuals in her locality involved in the terrorist attack in Cu Kuin district on June 11th, H'Lien, along with Front Committee officials, went to each house to gather information. For households with individuals involved, she actively encouraged relatives to persuade those who had gone astray to surrender and benefit from the leniency policies of the Party and State. Following H'Lien's advice, the two individuals subsequently turned themselves in. Village head H'Lien Nie is one of five individuals who received a Certificate of Commendation from the Ministry of Public Security for outstanding achievements in the "All People Protect National Security" movement.

Nguyen Gia

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