After the bustling days of Chol Chnam Thmay 2025, numerous Buddhist followers at Ta Ngao Pagoda (An Phu Ward) are still reveling in the joy of receiving support from benefactors to build three classrooms for the Khmer ethnic minority. Unable to hide his excitement, Venerable Chau Khi (the head monk of Ta Ngao Pagoda) said: “In the past few days, the monks and the Khmer people at the pagoda have been very happy, eagerly awaiting the groundbreaking ceremony for the three classrooms. This is a very precious gesture and act of kindness, helping the Khmer children have new, spacious, and comfortable classrooms to learn the Pali language. Previously, the children studied in the dining hall, the open courtyard, or even in makeshift thatched huts. Therefore, when the Tuong Nguyen Pagoda Charity Association came to help build the classrooms, everyone was overjoyed, especially the children.”
Venerable Chau Khi also said that the newly built rooms not only provide more learning space but also serve as resting places for people visiting the pagoda on the 15th and 1st of each lunar month. These classrooms contribute to preserving the spoken and written language and the ethnic identity of the Khmer people; Theravada monks also have a space to study Buddhist doctrines. “Seeing everyone happy to have a place to learn Pali and a place for communal activities, I am very pleased. On behalf of the pagoda and the Khmer people in Phu Tam hamlet, I sincerely thank the Tuong Nguyen Pagoda Charity Association. I also thank the Party, the State, and the local government in Tinh Bien town for their continued support of the Khmer people in their work and education to overcome poverty,” Venerable Chau Khi emphasized.
The Party Committee and People's Committee of Tinh Bien town have mobilized various resources to improve the lives of the Khmer people.
As a young Khmer person on the path to knowledge, Neàng Liên (a student at Xuân Tô High School) was excited to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a classroom at the pagoda. Neàng Liên happily said: “The new classroom is for Khmer youth and students to preserve the language and writing system of our ethnic group. This shows the concern of the Party, the State, and the whole society for the education of the Khmer ethnic minority. We will try our best to study well and constantly strive to become useful citizens, contributing to building our homeland.”
Beyond the classrooms for the Khmer people at Ta Ngao Pagoda, over the years, the Party Committee, the People's Committee of Tinh Bien Town, and various departments and localities have consistently focused on mobilizing and utilizing resources to care for the economic and cultural lives of the people. A prime example is the positive results achieved in implementing the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030; Phase I: from 2021-2025.
Accordingly, during the 2021-2024 period, Tinh Bien town was allocated over 48 billion VND in public investment capital to implement projects supporting land for housing, production land, and clean water for ethnic minorities and people in mountainous areas, along with other infrastructure investment projects. Specifically, 6 water supply pipelines were implemented, providing housing support to 134 households, land for housing and housing support to 17 households; 12 rural transport projects, and the construction and renovation of schools were completed with a total disbursed capital of over 29.3 billion VND. The People's Committee of Tinh Bien town also disbursed 7.8 billion VND from the recurrent expenditure fund for projects under the program.
The economic and cultural life of the Khmer people in Tinh Bien town is increasingly improving.
Thanks to these efforts, the lives of the Khmer people in Tinh Bien town have improved significantly. 100% of communes have roads leading to the commune center; 100% of communes and wards have access to the national power grid; the number of households using piped water covers all 60 hamlets and villages; 33.3% of schools meet national standards; and 98% of households use clean and hygienic water. The rural transportation system has been invested in and upgraded, especially in ethnic minority areas, such as Ta Ngao Road, Huong Lo 6, Huong Lo 13, etc., ensuring convenient travel and goods transportation.
In addition, the proportion of trained workers in the national economy increased to 49.5% by the end of 2024. Job creation efforts for workers annually met or exceeded the set plan, reaching 162.4%. Within the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction linked to New Rural Development, the People's Committee of Tinh Bien Town implemented 5 projects and sub-projects with a total budget of nearly 8 billion VND. As a result, the poverty rate among Khmer ethnic households decreased by over 3% per year, achieving the set target.
“We will continue to utilize investment funds from the program to support the Khmer people in improving their lives. This will involve close and coordinated cooperation between the local and provincial levels, and between departments, agencies, and organizations at the commune and ward levels, to further enhance the program's effectiveness and improve the lives of the Khmer people in Tinh Bien town,” affirmed Pham Van Phuc, Chairman of the People's Committee of Tinh Bien town.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/doi-moi-phum-soc-khmer-o-tinh-bien-a419398.html
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