"The ancient tree" in Coi village

(Baonghean) - For the Thai ethnic people in Coi village, Chau Dinh commune, Quy Hop district, village elder Hun Vi Can is truly a "great tree" of the village. Despite his advanced age, he continues to tirelessly contribute to village affairs, building Coi village into a cultural beacon of Chau Dinh commune and the entire Quy Hop district.

Village elder Hun Vi Can (far right) converses with officials from Coi village.

Welcoming me into his house nestled amidst a lush garden of fruit trees and a fish pond, old man Can humbly said, "I've dedicated my whole life to the Party and the people, so I just do what I see as useful; there's nothing extraordinary about it." However, the numerous certificates of merit displayed prominently in the main living room are proof of his tireless contributions. Taking a sip of tea, he recounted, "I was born in 1936 in this Coi village. In the old days, my family was very poor, but my father and some relatives still contributed rice to invite a teacher to live in our house and teach, so I learned the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script."

Therefore, at the age of 16, I started teaching literacy classes and was sent by the State to study pedagogy. Afterwards, I continued to work as a youth volunteer in the "eradicate illiteracy" campaign in the former Quy Chau district. In 1963, when Quy Hop district was established, this young Party member transferred to work at several agencies of the Quy Hop District Party Committee, and at one point, he worked at the Nghe An Performing Arts Troupe in the early 1970s. Later, due to difficult family circumstances, he requested a transfer back to work in Quy Hop district until his retirement in 1984. However, demonstrating the pioneering and exemplary spirit of a cadre and Party member, he continued to hold the position of Chairman of the Cooperative in Chau Dinh commune, then served as Party branch secretary and head of Coi village until 2010.

With the motto "as long as I have the strength, I will work and contribute," the elderly man focused on developing his family's economy. On over 6 hectares of land, he planted 4 hectares of acacia trees, dug a pond for fish farming, built tanks for raising catfish and eels, and raised cattle and goats. Income from his farm not only provided his family with a more stable and prosperous life, but most importantly, "it served as an example for others to learn from and follow, contributing to poverty reduction," he shared. Not stopping there, he also mobilized the villagers to contribute labor and materials to replace dilapidated houses for poor households in the village. Particularly, given the reality of the people's lives still clinging to many outdated customs, he encouraged them not to hold long funeral or wedding ceremonies and not to demand exorbitant dowries.

Through persistent effort and a gradual, persistent effort, the people of Coi village eventually understood and gradually abandoned those burdensome, costly, and wasteful customs. Even though he was a man, whenever there was a women's association meeting, "Mr. Can"—as the villagers affectionately called him—would participate, clearly and eloquently explaining the benefits of not having a third child. With his prestige and approachable, sincere way of communicating, the women in the village gradually accepted his message, resulting in many years without anyone in Coi village having a third child. The elder, along with the village committee, established inter-village and neighborhood groups, outlining clear activity plans that the people agreed to and cooperated with to ensure security and order in the area, connecting cultural and sports activities, and building strong neighborly relations.

However, village affairs are not simply limited to that; the elder thinks further ahead, focusing on building a future for the children, which means education. During village meetings, the elder encourages families to motivate their children to attend school. If a family shows signs of a child dropping out, the elder thoroughly investigates the reasons to devise specific ways to encourage them to return to school. As a result, despite the village's difficulties, an increasing number of children from Coi village are successfully admitted to universities across the country.

Thanks to his tireless efforts, Party member Hun Vi Can, over 55 years old, has been honored with numerous commendations from various levels, serving as a model in implementing the Politburo's Directive 03 on "continuing to promote the study and emulation of Ho Chi Minh's moral example" in Quy Hop district, as well as earning the gratitude and admiration of the people.

Thanh Duy