Caring for the lives of ethnic minorities

Synchronous implementation of policies

With more than 30,000 ethnic minorities living, mainly Muong people (accounting for 96.7%), in order to create conditions for ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas to promote their advantages and potentials to integrate, over the past 5 years, Ninh Binh province has effectively implemented the programs and projects of the Central Government in combination with the province's specific policies to develop the ethnic minority areas relatively comprehensively.

Accordingly, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee have paid attention to leading and directing ethnic affairs, issuing many documents to lead and direct the development of programs, projects, and plans towards building infrastructure, implementing social security policies, caring for the material and spiritual life of the people, ensuring suitability with the characteristics and needs of each locality and each ethnic group. The Provincial People's Council has also issued many Resolutions stipulating specific policies to promptly support disadvantaged groups, including ethnic minorities, such as: Regulations on support policies for poor households whose members are people with revolutionary contributions in the province; regulations on policies to support the construction and repair of houses for poor households in Ninh Binh province in the period of 2023-2025.

In the past 5 years, Ninh Binh province has implemented many programs, projects and plans such as: Plan to implement the Ethnic Work Strategy for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2045; Plan to implement the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021-2030; Plan to implement the Trade Development Program in mountainous, remote and island areas in Ninh Binh province for the period 2021-2025; Plan on coordinating the development of a National Scientific Profile on Mo Muong cultural heritage to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection; Plan to preserve and promote the values ​​of folk songs, folk dances and folk music of the Muong ethnic group associated with tourism development for the period 2022-2030 in Ninh Binh province.

Once one of the most disadvantaged localities in Nho Quan district, in recent years, Thach Binh commune has made a strong transformation. Comrade Vu Dung, Chairman of Thach Binh Commune People's Committee, said: Implementing the target programs for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas associated with the national target program for new rural construction, Thach Binh commune has received attention for investment in rural transport infrastructure, welfare works and livelihood support for ethnic minorities. Thereby, it has contributed significantly to gradually changing the thinking of economic development and the thinking of building cultural life of the people. Bad customs in ceremonies and funerals have been eliminated, the cultural identity of the Muong ethnic group has been preserved and promoted.

In 2020, Thach Binh was recognized by the People's Committee of Nho Quan district as a "Commune meeting new rural cultural standards"; in 2021, Thach Binh commune was recognized as meeting new rural standards. "It can be said that the target programs for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and the province's policies have created momentum for communes with many difficulties like Thach Binh to rise strongly" - the Chairman of the People's Committee of Thach Binh commune affirmed.

Over the past 5 years, the province has mobilized more than 326 billion VND to implement the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas. Thanks to that, hundreds of households have been supported to start businesses, dozens of production facilities have been renovated, and hundreds of ethnic minority workers have had convenient access to labor market information, job search support services, job connections, etc., contributing to improving the lives of ethnic minorities in the locality.

Creating "rebound" for ethnic minority areas

The comprehensive and synchronous implementation of ethnic work in recent times has created a "boost" for the region and ethnic minorities in the province to rise strongly. Currently, 100% of the communes in the ethnic minority areas of the province have convenient traffic routes from the commune center to the villages, hamlets, and hamlets; 100% of households have access to the national grid; more than 90% of the population in the ethnic minority areas have access to clean water. In addition to investing in infrastructure and production, Ninh Binh province pays special attention to promoting cultural identity, investing in education and health care, combined with mobilizing the active participation of the ethnic minority community, thereby creating a good living environment, where everyone is respected and has the opportunity to develop.

Ms. Bui Thi Anh, one of the households with good economic performance in Quang Lac commune (Nho Quan) shared: As a Muong ethnic, born and raised in Quang Lac, I understand the difficulties of the people here. In the past, the lives of people in the area mainly relied on agricultural production with the main crops being rice, cassava, and potatoes, and were completely dependent on nature, so life faced many difficulties. However, thanks to the attention of the Party and the State with many support policies for ethnic minority areas, especially policies to support the development of production of seeds and seedlings, I, like many people in Quang Lac, have gradually overcome difficulties, risen out of poverty and chosen a career to get rich in my homeland.

Accordingly, in 2018, with the support of the Women's Union at all levels, she boldly invested in an automatic irrigation system to grow 1 hectare of pumpkin and rotated the cultivation of chives. These are crops with high productivity and output value, suitable for the land in Quang Lac. These agricultural products have been purchased by a number of local and foreign enterprises, bringing a stable source of income for the family. This success has encouraged her and her family to continue expanding the cultivation area, while sharing experiences with the villagers.

Along with economic development, Ms. Anh actively participates in local cultural and artistic activities. In 2022, she was one of the founders of the Muong ethnic cultural, artistic and sports club in Quang Cu village. Club members regularly practice and perform traditional folk songs and dances of the Muong people, contributing to promoting the beautiful image of Muong ethnic culture to tourists and friends inside and outside the province.

With their industrious and hard-working nature, ethnic minorities in the province are always attached to their homeland, actively reclaiming and restoring difficult lands, striving to reduce poverty and get rich. In 2023, the average income per capita of Ninh Binh province reached 63.96 million VND/year, a significant increase compared to previous years. In particular, the average income per capita of ethnic minorities reached 60 million VND/year, showing a clear improvement in the quality of life. The poverty rate in ethnic minorities and mountainous areas decreased to 2.95%, a significant decrease compared to previous years.

Not only taking care of the economic development of ethnic minorities, Ninh Binh province also pays special attention to preserving and promoting the traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups. Cultural, artistic and sports activities at the grassroots level are increasingly vibrant with many clubs and teams established and maintained effectively, such as: Sap dance clubs, Gong clubs, Dum singing clubs, Sac bua clubs, Muong singing clubs... not only creating a healthy playground but also contributing to preserving the unique cultural identity of each ethnic group.

The achievements in ethnic affairs of Ninh Binh province are clear evidence of the Party and State's concern for ethnic minorities, as well as their constant efforts to improve themselves. Ethnic minorities in Ninh Binh province are increasingly living a stable, prosperous and happy life. This result creates an important premise for Ninh Binh province to continue mobilizing resources to focus on investment, promoting support policies, thereby contributing to strengthening the great national unity bloc, creating motivation for ethnic minorities to develop, building an increasingly rich and civilized homeland.

Mai Lan

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/quan-tam-cham-lo-doi-song-dong-bao-cac-dan-toc-thieu-so/d20241015202819554.htm