Dong Tao 20 years after coming down the mountain

After nearly 20 years of implementing the Party and State's settlement policy, 23 Dao ethnic households in Lung Mang, Xuan Son commune (in the core area of ​​Xuan Son National Park) have moved down the mountain to settle down in a new place in Dong Tao area, Xuan Dai commune, Tan Son district. The preferential policies of the Government , the province and the district have opened up a new life for the people here.

Down the mountain to the new version

We returned to Dong Tao on a sunny autumn day, the newly built houses lit up a corner of the forest, the sound of children playing, the sound of rice turning in the yard blended together bustlingly. Pouring a cup of tea to invite guests, Head of the Ban Van Phuong area shared: In 1986, when mobilized by the State, 23 households in the old village along with more than a dozen households in other villages came down the mountain together. At that time, each household coming down the mountain was given land, each household was also supported with 9 million VND to build a house, 300m2 ^of tea growing area and each person was given 7 meters of rice field. The village had a self-flowing water project, a small hydroelectric plant, and a school so that children could study fully. Later, Program 135 also supported animal breeds, built rural roads, transferred techniques, and guided people in agriculture and forestry, thereby developing the economy and gradually improving their lives.

Party Cell Secretary and Area Chief Ban Van Phuong shared when people came down the mountain years ago.

According to Mr. Phuong, the story of the past 20 years and the historical changes in Dong Tao land is like a slow-motion film, helping us to visualize the difficulties and hardships in the early days of establishing the village and the changes of the new village. Pointing to the stainless steel water tank, Mr. Phuong said: That is also the State's support under the National Target Program on clean water and rural environmental sanitation. The lives of the people here are getting better and better, clearly shown through the solidly built houses, replacing the old houses.

The roads are concreted, convenient for people to travel; trade is convenient for vehicles carrying essential goods for people's lives and then bringing local agricultural products to the lowlands. When the elderly and children are sick, they go to the medical station for examination and medicine. Vaccination is also easy, no longer having to travel half a day like before. In the middle of the conversation, I looked out in front of the houses of the households, each yard was covered with golden rice drying in the golden autumn sun.

Going deeper into the area, we came across new houses amidst the green of the mountains and forests. Mr. Ly Van Suoi's house, just this May, had just performed the ceremony of moving into a new house. The level 4 house, about 70 square meters wide ^, was supported by the State with 44 million VND from the Housing Program for Ethnic Minorities and Impoverished Mountainous Areas, 40 million VND from the Temporary House Elimination Program, plus a pair of newly sold cows to have a solid house like this. Although there are not many expensive items in the house, Mr. Suoi and his wife are very happy. "If it weren't for the State's support, my family probably wouldn't have a solid house to live in when we die" - that is Mr. Suoi's very honest confession.

The ^70m2 house of Mr. Ly Van Suoi's family has just been built.

As if to demonstrate the changes in Dong Tao, the Head of the Ban Van Phuong area took us to visit the family of Ban Van Chu. Chu's parents were among the households who settled down from the mountains right from the early days of establishing the village. Chu finished high school, did not go far away to work, but stayed home to raise livestock and grow crops. He attended a number of short-term training courses on raising chickens, pigs, cows, and veterinary medicine. After studying, he applied them to develop the family economy by raising buffaloes and cows, and changing the crop structure to increase income.

Life changing policy

Dong Tao area currently has 31 households, with 138 people. Up to now, the whole area has 2.5 hectares of land for growing 2 crops of rice and corn. In addition, people also actively go to work far away in neighboring provinces to earn more income. Not only knowing how to grow corn, rice, and protect forests, people also change their habit of raising free-range livestock to raising livestock in captivity, both preventing epidemics and contributing to keeping the environment clean. The area has 3 households receiving housing support under Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period. Along with that, some households benefit from the Great Solidarity Housing Program.

Chairman of Xuan Dai Commune People's Committee Ha Ngoc Tin said: "With the determination to stabilize the lives of the Dao people in Dong Tao, the local government has actively mobilized and propagated to help people understand the benefits of going down the mountain; mobilized people to donate land to build roads, build a cultural house for the hamlet and the down the mountain area, and at the same time mobilized capital sources to invest in building infrastructure..."

Up to now, 100% of households have electricity for daily life, people have been granted health insurance cards and policies for ethnic minorities. People know how to apply science and technology to farming and animal husbandry. Life is prosperous, people here are all excited, children go to school regularly. The smooth concrete road connecting to the commune center has helped people travel and trade more conveniently.

Dong Tao area is increasingly renewed and clean.

Another happy thing to see is that the area has up to 10 party members working in the Party Cell, this is the core team, actively participating in building economic, cultural and social development movements. In particular, in the Party Cell meetings, Secretary and Head of the Area Ban Van Phuong has actively implemented all the resolutions, guidelines and policies of the Party and State, and the local government to the people, creating conditions for them to grasp the information, thereby making people trust and contribute to the development of the area, as well as actively improving their material and spiritual life.

Although there have been changes and developments, Dong Tao is still one of the most disadvantaged areas of Xuan Dai commune with 21/31 poor households, income over 16 million VND/person/year, and difficult roads. People in the area hope that the Party and State will continue to pay attention to investing in roads and support for production development. At the same time, implementing economic development models, especially transferring science and technology, guiding people in changing production methods... so that people's lives can develop better.

Dinh Tu

Source: https://baophutho.vn/dong-tao-20-nam-sau-ngay-ha-son-220610.htm