Poverty reduction effectiveness in ethnic minority areas in Quang Nam: View from Phuoc Son

Thanks to the effective use of capital from national target programs, especially the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030 (National Target Program 1719) and the national target program on sustainable poverty reduction, Phuoc Son district (Quang Nam) is making strong changes in poverty reduction. The national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2030 (National Target Program 1719) is considered a special policy to help Quang Nam achieve the goal of sustainable development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. With the efforts of the entire political system in implementation, up to now, the Program has initially shown its effectiveness, changing the face of the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province. In the face of prolonged heavy rains, causing landslides and localized flooding in the Central region, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed Official Dispatch No. 120/CD-TTg dated November 25, 2024 requesting ministries, branches and localities to proactively respond and quickly overcome the consequences of floods in the Central region. Ong Den Noc is the affectionate name that people call their place of residence. Also known by its administrative name as Group 4, in Village 2, Tra Giang Commune, Tra Bong District (Quang Ngai). Ong Den's roof is like a valley isolated in the middle of the green forest, where there are 14 houses, with more than 60 people of the Co ethnic group living in harmony with the mountains and forests. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just awarded a Certificate of Merit to artist Le Thanh Phong for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of the value of the folk heritage of Vi and Giam Nghe Tinh. The National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period (National Target Program 1719) is considered a special policy to help Quang Nam achieve the goal of sustainable development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. With the efforts of the entire political system in implementation, up to now, the Program has initially promoted its effectiveness, changing the face of the province's ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Thanks to the effective use of capital from national target programs, especially the national target program on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021-2030 (National Target Program 1719) and the national target program on sustainable poverty reduction, Phuoc Son district (Quang Nam) is making strong changes in poverty reduction work. Hoa Binh attaches importance to the development of transport infrastructure, creating momentum for ethnic minority and mountainous areas, contributing to narrowing the development gap between urban and rural areas. The summary news of the Ethnic and Development Newspaper, on November 25, has the following notable information: Hue Ao Dai is recognized as a National Intangible Heritage. Da Lat: Illegal deforestation is increasing. Fire dance of the Pa Then people. Along with other news in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Promoting the pioneering and exemplary role of party members in mobilizing and propagating ethnic minorities to implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, in recent years, many party members and prestigious people in the ethnic minority areas of Da Bac highland district (Hoa Binh province) have had creative ways of "mobilizing the people", contributing to raising people's understanding of the law and maintaining security and order in the village. Solving jobs and increasing income for people is one of the important solutions in poverty reduction. With the proportion of ethnic minorities accounting for over 70%, the people's lives are still difficult, Dinh Hoa district (Thai Nguyen province) has focused on implementing synchronous solutions to improve the effectiveness of vocational training and create jobs for workers. The area of ​​forests and forestry land in Chiem Hoa district (Tuyen Quang province) is very large, this is considered a potential and advantage for people living on forests to have more opportunities and conditions to develop sustainable agricultural and forestry economy associated with forest protection. Exploiting the potential and advantages well, along with the policies of the Party and the State, especially the support policy from the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021 - 2025 (National Target Program 1719), is of great significance, so that people have more conditions to promote economic values, stabilize their lives and develop sustainably from forests. The contest to learn about the law on marriage, early marriage and consanguineous marriage in Chiem Hoa district in 2024 was held with the theme "Say no to early marriage and consanguineous marriage". Recently, the Department of Culture and Information of Nam Nhun district (Lai Chau province) organized a propaganda program to serve the conservation of the "Celebrating New Rice" Festival (Chile xa xa lam me) of the Mang ethnic group, Nam Nhun district in 2024 in Nam Pi commune.

People of Phuoc Duc commune are supported with breeding cows from the capital of National Target Program 1719.

Helping the poor

In late November, we had the opportunity to follow the staff of Phuoc Duc commune to visit some villages in the purely ethnic minority area of ​​the commune. On the straight concrete road leading to the farthest village of the commune, we were surprised by the newly built, spacious and majestic houses surrounded by lush green fruit gardens.

Mr. Nguyen Van Dung, Head of Village 4, Phuoc Duc Commune, said: Village 4 has about 300 households, mainly of the Gie Trieng ethnic group. In recent years, thanks to the livelihood support policies of the Party and the State, people have learned to rise up to do business, no longer relying on others like in previous years. In just the past 2 years, many households supported by the policy have escaped poverty and built decent houses.

To prove his point, Mr. Dung took us to visit some families who received livelihood support from the National Target Program 1719. Pointing to the front of the village, Mr. Dung said that there was a cultural house that was in the process of being completed, with construction capital from national target programs. The herd of cows grazing outside the concrete road belonged to households that received support from the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

From the support policies of the 3 national target programs, Phuoc Son people have the conditions to develop their economy.

The family of Mr. Ho Van Tiet (born in 1988, residing in village 4) used to be a poor household. In early 2023, he was supported with 2 breeding cows worth tens of millions of VND, as part of the district's community breeding cow project. After a period of care, the pair of cows have now developed healthily, and the cow is showing signs of giving birth. He and his wife planted more grass to nurture the pair of cows, which are considered the family's entire fortune. This year, Mr. Tiet's family registered to escape poverty.

Similarly, Mr. Ho Van Rim (born in 1988, residing in village 2) and his wife said: Thanks to the support of 3 buffaloes from the buffalo breeding project model, the family has more motivation to develop the economy. Before receiving the buffalo support, he also participated in training courses organized by the commune's agricultural officers. "The family takes advantage of the acacia trees on the field to build barns, and plants more grass to prepare for the long rainy season. We hope that with these buffaloes, the family's economy will improve," Mr. Rim added.

Ms. Ho Thi Nhep (born in 1983, living in village 4) has a difficult situation, her husband died early, she alone works on the farm to raise two children. Understanding that, the local government decided to support her family with 60 million VND from the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction to help her have a new house. Not only that, she also received a policy loan of 100 million VND to invest in economic development.

The National Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction has helped hundreds of households in Phuoc Son receive housing support.

Mr. Nguyen Van Vu, Vice Chairman of Phuoc Duc Commune People's Committee, said: Capital from the National Target Programs has contributed greatly to the socio-economic development of the locality, especially in supporting livelihoods and housing for the poor. At the same time, the locality has also promoted the construction of essential infrastructure, clean water, resettlement, etc. for the people.

“In the 2023-2024 period, the locality has allocated capital from the National Target Program 1719 and the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction to support nearly 100 poor households with about 250 buffaloes and cows through the community breeding project model. In addition, in 2024, implementing Project 5 of the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, the commune has supported housing for 61 households, including building 31 new houses and repairing 30 houses,” said Mr. Vu.

Improve people's lives

Mr. Le Quang Trung, Chairman of Phuoc Son District People's Committee, said: From the resources of the National Target Programs, economic and social infrastructure has been invested in, the appearance of the countryside has been fundamentally changed, basically meeting the needs of production and people's lives.

In particular, the career funding source has focused on solving urgent and practical requirements for people's lives and production. This source of capital has also helped the locality gradually solve practical needs such as arranging and stabilizing the population, eliminating temporary housing, changing occupations, shifting production structures, growing crops, raising livestock, etc. Thereby, initially helping the poor and ethnic minorities to have many changes in awareness in developing production, learning a trade, starting a business, and building a new rural life.

In 2024, the total capital plan (including capital carried over from 2022 and 2023) to implement the National Target Program 1719 is more than 455 billion VND. Of which, investment capital is more than 282 billion, and public service capital is more than 173 billion VND. As of mid-November 2024, the locality has disbursed more than 146 billion VND in investment capital (52%) and 74 billion VND (more than 43%) to promote the implementation of projects and sub-projects, initially bringing many positive results.

From the above capital, Phuoc Son district has implemented the construction of more than 50 new projects and 25 transitional projects including rural roads, schools, cultural houses, bridges, and medical station repairs... to meet the essential needs of the people.

Mr. Le Quang Trung, Chairman of Phuoc Son District People's Committee (far left) supports funding for people to build houses.

The locality also allocated nearly 15 billion VND from the resources of the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction to implement 21 projects to support economic development for poor and near-poor households (supporting buffaloes, cows, goats, pigs, fertilizers, etc.); and nearly 4 billion VND to support poor households with water tanks, rice threshing machines, and production support tools. The district also allocated more than 10 billion VND to support vocational training and medical examination and treatment for people.

According to Mr. Le Quang Trung, Chairman of Phuoc Son District People's Committee, in addition to supporting livelihoods, the locality has identified housing support for people as a way to help the locality reduce the poverty rate. Because only when one has a stable home can one have a career, the locality has mobilized capital from programs to focus on eliminating temporary housing for people.

Thanks to the effective implementation of capital sources of national target programs, the mountainous district of Phuoc Son has had many improvements.

During the 2023-2024 period, the locality has allocated a total of more than VND 32.5 billion to support housing construction for 910 households, including 494 new houses and 416 houses repaired. With the goal of eliminating about 1,500 temporary and dilapidated houses for poor and near-poor households by the end of 2025, Phuoc Son will further increase the allocation of capital sources from the program, and mobilize more funds for implementation.

“The National Target Programs have a great significance for the socio-economic development of the locality, especially poverty reduction. Thanks to the effective deployment of resources, in 2024, Phuoc Son reduced 475 poor households and 245 near-poor households compared to 2023, exceeding the target set by the Program. In the coming time, the District People's Committee will accelerate the disbursement of capital of the National Target Programs; focus resources, effectively invest in works and projects for comprehensive socio-economic development of ethnic minority areas; strive to reduce over 400 poor households and 155 near-poor households in 2025…”, Mr. Trung added.

Quang Nam: Promoting propaganda and dissemination of laws in ethnic minority areas

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/hieu-qua-giam-ngheo-trong-vung-dong-bao-dtts-o-quang-nam-nhin-tu-phuoc-son-1732429877489.htm