At 6:00 a.m., I set off from Meo Vac District Center to Lung Pu Commune with the officers and soldiers of the Meo Vac District Military Command. My companion was Major Lan Van Son, Political Assistant of the District Military Command, with many interesting stories. “My team has been to many places, so we are used to it! Last Saturday, my unit also went to the village to help people demolish temporary and dilapidated houses…”, Major Lan Van Son shared.

Officers and soldiers of the Military Command of Meo Vac district (Ha Giang) moved into the village to help people renovate their mixed gardens.

The story helped us forget the winding road of more than 25 km with high mountains of rocks stacked on rocks, vertical, gray, stretching endlessly; between the cat-ear rocks on both sides of the road, we saw the silhouettes of people clearing grass, plowing the fields to plant corn.

Join in helping people plow the fields.

It is known that Lung Pu is a rocky commune of Meo Vac district, the whole commune currently has more than 1,000 households with more than 6,300 people; the number of poor and near-poor households is still high; 100% of ethnic minorities live there, mainly Mong people. Traffic is inconvenient, people's income mainly depends on farming and small-scale livestock farming; due to the terrain being mainly rocky mountains, lack of land and water, it greatly affects people's farming, leading to the economic situation and people's lives being very difficult. In order to support people here, Meo Vac District Military Command has implemented activities such as: Giving away seeds, livestock, giving gifts to students, poor households, social security works, coordinating with units and hospitals to organize medical examination and treatment for people...

Officers and soldiers of Meo Vac District Military Command help Sung Mi Na's family in Lung Linh A village, Lung Pu commune, weed and plow the land for farming.

After more than an hour of traveling, Lung Linh A village appeared poetic and peaceful. In front of each house was a stone fence with large, healthy wild peach trees, rough and rough but full of life with young shoots and green buds, in the distance were cat-eared rocky mountains. Welcoming us with a bright smile was Mr. Sung Mi Na, a household that received support from officers and soldiers of the District Military Command to renovate their mixed garden.

Mr. Sung Mi Na (far right) and officers and soldiers of Meo Vac District Military Command prepare to plant taro.

“Today, my family is very happy to have the soldiers come to help and guide us in growing taro. Hopefully this will be a new crop that brings high economic efficiency, helping to improve my family's life,” said Sung Mi Na.

Sung Mi Na's family is of Mong ethnic group, with 6 members, is a near-poor household in the village, and their life is still difficult; this time, Na's family was supported by Meo Vac District Military Command with 200kg of taro seeds. At the same time, the Military Command directly went to the family to guide and support planting and caring for the seedlings.

Each person does a part to help Mr. Sung Mi Na's family renovate the mixed garden.

"The weather today is so favorable. It just rained a few days ago, so the soil is now moist and will be very good for planting," said Major Nguyen Manh Cuong, Deputy Political Commissar and Political Director of the Meo Vac District Military Command.

After Major Nguyen Manh Cuong's opening statement, each officer and soldier of the unit did their part: some helped weed, some plowed the fields, mixed fertilizer, dug holes, planted potatoes...

A moment of rest after helping people renovate their mixed gardens of officers and soldiers of Meo Vac District Military Command.

According to Major Nguyen Manh Cuong, as a unit located in the mountainous border district, in recent years, the Meo Vac District Military Command has not only successfully completed its political tasks, but also closely attached to the people. The unit has always actively participated in supporting and helping the people with specific tasks such as: Supporting crops and livestock for people to develop the economy, sending officers and soldiers directly to villages and households to "hold hands and show them how to do things" to help people in the movement to renovate mixed gardens and develop household garden economy; supporting people to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses; connecting with benefactors to donate clean water projects... with the desire for people to settle down and have a happy life.

In this difficult place, thanks to the diligence, hard work and perseverance of the people and Uncle Ho's soldiers who devoted themselves to the people, Meo Vac highlands are prosperous, happy and peaceful.

The sound of hoes and shovels and the laughter of Uncle Ho's soldiers and the people echoed throughout the mountains and forests. From here, green shoots and new crops continued to appear in the Mong villages. Together with the spirit of solidarity and the will to rise up of the people, they will help green the fields and the fields, for a new year of more prosperity and happiness in the highlands of Meo Vac.

Article and photos: HA LINH