Ms. Huyen's family is happy when the dream of "settling down and having a career" comes true.

In recent times, the Party and the Government have issued many policies to improve the lives of poor households, especially ethnic minorities, notably Decree 28/2022/ND-CP on preferential credit policies to implement the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period; Phase 1 from 2021-2025 (National Target Program 1719). In A Luoi district, this program has actively contributed to helping people improve their living conditions, especially in building solid houses.

One typical story is that of Ms. Cao Thi Minh Huyen, an ethnic minority in A Nam village, Hong Van commune, A Luoi district. Her family is poor, with their main source of income coming from farming and raising cows. Previously, Ms. Huyen's house was just a makeshift wooden house, unable to withstand storms. "My house used to be very hot in the summer and when it rained, water leaked everywhere. Life was already difficult, so dreaming of a solid house was something we did not dare to think about," Ms. Huyen shared.

Thanks to the support from the Transaction Office of the Social Policy Bank (SPB) in A Luoi district, Ms. Huyen's family was able to borrow 40 million VND under the preferential credit policy of Decree 28. With this amount of money, along with support from the State and part of the family's savings, Ms. Huyen's family's new house was started to be built in early 2024. The house is gradually being completed and is ready to be put into use, bringing great joy to the whole family.

Ms. Huyen was moved: “My family is very grateful to the Party, the State and the People’s Credit Fund. Without this preferential loan policy, we don’t know when we would have been able to build a new, sturdy house like this. Before, every time the rainy season came, the whole family was always worried because the old house was very weak and dilapidated. Now, with this new house, I feel much more secure. From now on, my family can focus on doing business and developing the economy.”

Since the preferential credit program under Decree 28 was implemented, hundreds of poor families in A Luoi have benefited. According to statistics from the A Luoi District Social Policy Bank, up to now, 24.28 billion VND has been disbursed, helping to build 607 new houses for people. The new houses not only help protect people from natural disasters, but also create conditions for them to focus on developing production and stabilizing their lives.

In addition to supporting loans for housing construction, the program also plays an important role in promoting local economic and social development. By providing preferential loans, the program has helped people have more resources to invest in agriculture, livestock, and other production activities, thereby creating stable income. The newly built houses are not only safe places to live, but also a solid stepping stone for people to escape poverty.

Mr. Le Quang Thang, Director of the A Luoi District Social Policy Bank Transaction Office, said: “The housing support program for poor and near-poor households in A Luoi is an important part of the National Target Program 1719. We are fully aware of our responsibility in ensuring that preferential credit capital reaches the right people in need and is used effectively. Each house built is not only a place to live, but also a driving force to help people escape poverty.”

“To ensure that funds are used for the right purposes and to the right beneficiaries, local authorities and relevant departments have established monitoring teams, including representatives from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ethnic Minorities Committee, the Department of Construction, the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee. These monitoring teams regularly check the progress and quality of housing construction projects, and listen to people’s opinions to adjust policies when necessary,” said Mr. Thang.

In addition to capital from the VBSP, many other resources from social organizations and philanthropists have also been mobilized to provide additional support to poor households. These supports, though small, are of great significance, helping to reduce the financial burden on people when building new houses. This is also a testament to the joint efforts of the whole community in poverty reduction and improving living conditions for ethnic minorities.

Article and photos: Diep Chi