Adding motivation for poor households to develop the economy

A cleaning kit, a clothes dryer or a sandwich cart... are not valuable items for many people. However, these are practical means of livelihood, helping poor and near-poor households in Dong Ha City have the motivation to rise up.

The house cleaning service tool kit has helped Ms. Hang have a stable source of income - Photo: TP

The small house at Alley 179, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Tay Tri Quarter, Ward 1, Dong Ha City of Ms. Pham Thi Dung and her husband has become more bustling at the end of the year due to the number of people bringing blankets and mosquito nets to wash. Since April 2022, after receiving support from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ward 1 with a clothes dryer, the work of washing blankets, mosquito nets, and rented clothes for the couple has become more convenient.

Ms. Dung used to be a hairdresser; her husband was a carpenter. Life at that time was not rich but still enough to cover all expenses for the family. But since she got sick, her health has declined, and the family's life has become more and more difficult. Implementing the model of supporting means of livelihood for extremely disadvantaged households deployed by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ward 1 surveyed, understood the needs of Ms. Dung's family and provided timely means of livelihood support.

According to Ms. Dung, the clothes dryer is not only a valuable gift in terms of material value but also a motivation for her and her husband to try harder every day. “Over time, the number of customers coming to do laundry at my place has increased. Currently, I receive laundry services for blankets, curtains, and rented clothes at all hours of the day. My husband helps dry and deliver laundry to customers. In addition, I work as a waiter at a pho restaurant in the morning, which also brings in extra income, and my family's life is better than before. All thanks to the support of local authorities and Fatherland Front committees at all levels.”

Compared to Ms. Dung, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, living in Quarter 5, Dong Le Ward, Dong Ha City, is in a more difficult situation. Her husband died early, and she had to work hard alone to earn money to take care of her elderly and sick father-in-law and raise 3 school-age children. From farming, cleaning for hire to working as a bricklayer, she did not hesitate to do anything. It was not until 2020, after receiving attention from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city and financial support to build a solidarity house, that Ms. Hang officially escaped poverty.

“Knowing that I needed a house cleaning service but did not have the funds to buy tools, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Le Ward surveyed and supported me with funds to buy cleaning tools. Since then, thanks to this set of tools, my monthly income has been more stable than before. My family's life is getting better every day,” Ms. Hang confided.

Not only Ms. Hang, but since 2015, many poor and near-poor families in Dong Le ward have been supported by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the ward with means of livelihood to escape poverty sustainably.

Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Le Ward, Le Van Luong, said that Dong Le Ward is the first locality in the city to implement a model of supporting livelihoods for households in difficult circumstances. Every year, the unit reviews, organizes survey teams and supports livelihoods based on the specific needs of each household.

“Means of livelihood are truly necessary and become a “fishing rod” to help families have the motivation to rise up. The cost of purchasing means of livelihood is taken from socialized sources and the ward’s “For the Poor” fund. Depending on each need, the ward will provide full support or counterpart capital to purchase means of livelihood.

However, we do not provide support in a mass manner but select households with determination and desire to escape poverty sustainably. In particular, besides supporting livelihoods, we also regularly encourage families; call for help from local people so that the supported means of livelihood can be effective," said Mr. Luong.

According to information from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Ha City, by the end of 2023, the city had 24,748 households, of which 364 were poor households, accounting for 1.47%; 1,293 were near-poor households, accounting for 5.22%. In recent times, in order to join hands in implementing the poverty reduction goal, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city has coordinated with local authorities to develop many plans and projects related to caring for the poor and disadvantaged people in the area.

At the same time, organize many practical and effective emulation movements, implement the goal of multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction, limit poverty relapse and poverty generation. In particular, for many poor and near-poor households, to arouse in them the will to be self-reliant, self-reliant, promote internal strength to escape poverty sustainably, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city implements a model of supporting means of livelihood for households in the above-mentioned subjects.

Every year, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city requires the grassroots level to survey and assess the feasibility of the livelihood needs of poor and near-poor households in the locality. After balancing resources, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city consults with members of the City's "For the Poor" Fund Mobilization Committee to agree on the number of households receiving livelihood support. In just 3 years from 2021 to 2023, over 100 poor and near-poor households have received livelihood support.

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Ha City, Vo Thi Hoa Hang, said: “Over the past years, the livelihood support model for poor and near-poor households in Dong Ha City has been effective in helping hundreds of households rise up and avoid falling back into poverty. The timely support of livelihood means has given more motivation to households in the most difficult times.

In the coming time, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the city will continue to mobilize all resources to maintain support for poor and near-poor households in the city with means of livelihood to escape poverty sustainably.

Truc Phuong

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