Ban Xoong Con: 10 consecutive years no one has a third child

(Baonghean) - Xoong Con village, Tam Thai commune (Tuong Duong district) has a total of 44 households, of which 33 are of childbearing age, more than 90% are Thai ethnic people. People mainly live off the forest, self-sufficient economy, but for more than 10 years now there has been no case of a third child.

The above results are thanks to the efforts of local authorities and organizations in propaganda and mobilizing people to implement family planning, but more importantly, it is the awareness of the people of Xoong Con village about the family burden if they have many children.

Women in Tuong Duong district learn about birth control methods through leaflets on population/family planning. Photo: Thanh Hung

Mr. Luong Van Vinh - Secretary of the Xoong Con village Party Cell - who has worked in population work, as well as the Party Cell Secretary and village chief for more than 10 years, recounted: Before the year 2000, the lives of families in Tam Thai commune were very difficult, their lives were completely dependent on nature, and having many children led to an increase in the poverty rate; children did not have a proper education, many had to drop out of school to go into the forest with their families to earn a living every day.

In recent years, the work of propagating and mobilizing people to implement policies on Population - Family Planning has begun to be strengthened through village meetings. In addition, the women's association has propagated and mobilized women with many specific activities such as establishing a "No Third Child Club", organizing annual seminars on International Women's Day March 8, Vietnam Women's Union Founding Day October 20, building cultural and artistic movements... Thanks to that, people have gradually seen the advantages and disadvantages of having many children and have agreed with the local government to implement the population policy well. For more than 10 years, in Xoong Con village, no family has had a third child.

Ms. Vy Thi Khuong - President of the Women's Union of Tam Thai commune said: Due to good propaganda and mobilization work, in Xoong Con village, although there are many households with 2 children, both of whom are girls, they have committed not to have a third child. Typical examples are the households of Mr. Lo Van Tam (born in 1984) and Ms. Luong Thi Nga (born in 1987), the family of Mr. Luong Van Huyen (born in 1983) and Ms. Lo Thi Tien (1988), although they are young, they have voluntarily registered to commit not to have a third child, stopping at 2 children to raise, care for and educate them properly and build a family to develop the economy and eliminate poverty.

It can be said that over the past 10 years, when Xoong Con village had no one giving birth to a third child, the economic conditions of the families here have changed completely. Taking advantage of the local characteristics, the people of Xoong Con village have focused on developing economic models such as raising pigs, buffaloes, and growing corn and squash. Many families have begun to have enough to eat, improve their lives and take good care of their children's education. From the place where the rate of students having to drop out of school in the middle of the year was the highest in the commune, now the village no longer has the situation of students dropping out of school or being illiterate at the right age. In particular, the poverty rate has decreased from more than 25% in 2010 to 11% today.

Luc Thi Lien (Tuong Duong Women's Union)