Yen Son (Tuyen Quang): Diversifying livelihoods to sustainably reduce poverty

Representatives of Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry guide people in Yen Son district to check the roots and soil pH of flooded grapefruit trees.

In recent times, the poor in Yen Son district have benefited from many poverty reduction programs and policies implemented by the Central, provincial and local governments. Policies oneducation , health care, social insurance, vocational training, preferential credit policies, housing, production land, etc. have helped the material and spiritual life of the poor in the area to continuously improve, and the poverty rate has decreased year by year.

To achieve the above results, Yen Son district has implemented many plans and solutions to help the poor and poor households improve their minimum living standards and access basic social services. In particular, the diversification of livelihoods for people in poverty reduction work has been implemented synchronously, creating momentum and motivation to help people escape poverty, contributing to changing the face of villages, hamlets and rural hamlets in the district.

Mr. Hoang Van Vinh's family (village 2, Tien Bo commune) is one of the households receiving buffalo support from the Project on diversifying livelihoods and developing poverty reduction models in Yen Son district in 2024. The buffaloes provided are breeding female buffaloes and have been fully vaccinated. Before receiving the breeding buffaloes, Mr. Hung and other households receiving buffalo support were trained by the staff of the District Agricultural Service Center and instructed on breeding techniques, how to build barns, and how to treat some common diseases. After receiving the breeding buffaloes, he took good care of them according to the instructions of the veterinary industry, so that the buffaloes could develop and reproduce well.

Mr. Vinh shared: The buffalo is a valuable asset, it reproduces and in the future we can sell it for money, the Party leaders and local government support us, so that is valuable.

Leaders of the Women's Union of Yen Son district presented 50,000,000 VND from the Warm House Fund to people to support house building.

Mr. Vu Quang Dam, Chairman of Tien Bo Commune People's Committee, said: Tien Bo is one of the communes with many difficulties in the District, with a low starting point, the lives of people in general, especially ethnic minorities in the locality, still face many difficulties. The income of over 80% of households in the area mainly depends on agricultural and forestry production... In 2024, through the application of methods that closely follow reality, taking advantage of specific potentials, to support people to develop the economy , and rise out of poverty, it has brought positive results in poverty reduction work in the locality.

Accordingly, from the beginning of the year, based on the results of the poor household review and the assessment of the living conditions, economy and society of ethnic minority groups, Tien Bo commune has selected poor households according to each level, aspirations and potential of the families, to support sustainable poverty reduction. The commune established working groups to visit each household to grasp the needs in order to provide practical, specific and effective support. Based on the aspirations and conditions of each household, the commune has proposed and provided the most practical and effective forms of support. The support has gradually created a source of income for the people, helping many local ethnic minority households to gradually increase their income and escape poverty.

Mr. Le Quang Toan, Vice Chairman of Yen Son District People's Committee, said: In 2024, Yen Son District will implement 26 Production Development Support Projects under the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction and the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas with a total budget of VND 25,225 million. In which, the main support is livestock for poor and near-poor households. From the allocated capital, communes and towns have reviewed, approved and distributed support for breeding animals and livestock, so that people can develop their economy. Many localities are flexible in diversifying livelihoods for people, such as: Supporting plant varieties, training, updating knowledge, new techniques, etc., so that people can develop their economy sustainably.

In two years (2023 and 2024), Yen Son district was allocated more than 31 billion VND from the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction. In 2024 alone, the district was allocated 23,869 million VND. The district has timely and properly allocated funding for project implementation, especially projects on livelihood diversification and poverty reduction model development. Thanks to that, many poor and near-poor households have risen out of poverty. In 2023, the district's poverty rate will decrease to 15.04% and by the end of 2024, it will strive to reduce it to 11.31%.

Along with that, to create motivation to help people in the District develop the economy and escape poverty, departments, branches, organizations and localities have implemented action programs and emulation movements that have brought about practical results. From there, creating a sustainable poverty reduction momentum, helping the poor escape poverty. In particular, responding to the campaign "Day for the Poor", the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) at all levels of the District has implemented many activities to accompany the poor, especially ethnic minorities.

Yen Son District Agricultural Service Center hands over breeding female buffaloes to support poor households in Yen Son District

From 2023 to September 2024, the Fatherland Front at all levels in Yen Son mobilized the "For the Poor" Fund and the Social Security Program of nearly 3.4 billion VND. From this Fund and the direct support of agencies, units, and philanthropists, the District has supported 453 poor households to rebuild their houses and 48 poor households to repair their houses; supporting livelihoods for many households in difficult circumstances. The Women's Union of Yen Son District mobilized members and philanthropists inside and outside the province for 290 million VND to build 05 charity houses, worth from 50 to 70 million VND/house. In addition, the associations at all levels give gifts and timely support in times of difficulty and disaster. The Fatherland Front at all levels also supports livelihoods by providing investment capital for production, plants, seeds, tools, and machinery for agricultural production, and supporting the construction of solidarity houses for people to settle down and work happily.

Not only that, from the preferential credit capital of the Social Policy Bank, in 2024, Yen Son district disbursed loans to 891 poor households and 414 near-poor households, with a budget of VND 98,474 million. As of September 2024, the total outstanding debt of the District Social Policy Bank Transaction Office reached VND 890.47 billion. The Bank's loans are always disbursed promptly, creating trust and motivation for the poor to rise up, many households have effectively escaped poverty and become rich from this loan source. In particular, in order for rural people to have jobs and stable income, vocational training has been focused on implementation in line with market demand. In the first 9 months of 2024 alone, 3,796 people were employed. The district has provided vocational training to 665 people, of whom the rate of employment, self-employment, and increased income after training reached over 80%.

It can be seen that with the flexibility and diversity in the livelihoods implemented, poverty reduction work in Yen Son has been bringing practical results. In the coming time, to continue to effectively implement sustainable poverty reduction work, the District has developed a plan and action program to implement the goal of multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable poverty reduction.

Accordingly, Yen Son district strives to reduce the poverty rate by 3-4%/year or more each year; poor ethnic minority households in the area reduce by over 4%/year according to the multidimensional poverty standard. In particular, the main targets to be achieved by 2025 are: 100% of poor and near-poor households lacking income criteria will be supported and facilitated to develop production, receive vocational training, create stable jobs, and increase income; 100% of poor and near-poor households lacking basic social services will be partially supported, to gradually improve and access services on employment, health, education, housing, domestic water, sanitation, access to information, etc.; models and projects to reduce poverty in the form of supporting production-business development, services, tourism, and startups will be implemented by the district to create livelihoods, jobs, income, and adapt to climate change, etc. for the poor.

The National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, 2021-2025 period, has contributed to improving and enhancing people's lives. Poor and near-poor households have also been trained in farming and livestock raising techniques, so they have the motivation to escape poverty. Many households have not only escaped poverty and have stable incomes, but have also become active players in local economic development./.

Yen Son (Tuyen Quang): Effectiveness of housing support program for poor people in ethnic minority and mountainous areas

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/yen-son-tuyen-quang-da-dang-hoa-sinh-ke-de-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-1728644124618.htm