A fulcrum for sustainable poverty reduction

(Baonghean) - Thanks to the support from the "Cow Bank" Project of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Red Cross Society, many poor people in the mountainous district of Ky Son have gradually risen above poverty and improved their lives...

Raising cows in Nam Khien village, Nam Can commune (Ky Son). Photo: Cong Kien

With the amount of 700 million VND supported since 2010, 100 poor households of 2 communes Huu Lap and Bao Nam, each household was supported with 1 female calf for breeding, worth 7 million VND. After receiving the policy from the superiors, the district Red Cross Society assigned the grassroots association to coordinate with the government to directly purchase native breeds suitable for the climate and weather conditions here, easy to care for and grow. At the same time, the District Association coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Veterinary Station to organize training and technical guidance for people in the form of "hands-on" on animal husbandry, care of breeding animals, barn building techniques, how to detect and treat common diseases... After handing over the breeding calves, the commune government instructed people to sign a commitment with the Village Management Board so that people are responsible for taking care of them and implementing the project's objectives. When the breeding cows give birth for the first time, the beneficiary household raises them from 6 to 12 months old, then hands them over to the Red Cross to transfer to other poor households, then they fully own the breeding cows, continue to care for them, and multiply the herd.

The selection of the beneficiaries of the cows was discussed and evaluated publicly and democratically, creating a high consensus among the people. The households that received the breeding cows were excited and responsible for taking care of them. With the hard-working and diligent nature of the poor households that received the cows, the leadership of the Party Committee and the government, along with the attention of the associations at all levels, after 4 years, from the initial 100 breeding cows, 80 more were produced and transferred to 80 other poor households to benefit, of which Huu Lap commune had 39 cows, Bao Nam commune had 41 cows, the initial number of cows provided by the project is being well cared for by the households. Continuing in this cycle, the number of breeding cows is increasing, which means that more and more poor households in difficult circumstances are benefiting.

Mr. Chich Pho Van, a Khmu ethnic, was one of 12 people in the commune who received breeding cows in 2014. He shared: “My family is very poor. There are 6 members in the family, and my wife is often sick. Last year, I had to sell the cow to get money to take her to the provincial hospital for treatment. The family's expenses depend on slash-and-burn farming, but we can only produce one crop a year, and the productivity is low. Every year we are hungry and have to receive rice support from the State. I feel very guilty. This year, receiving the project's support cow, my family has a cow to raise. My hometown has a large area of ​​land with a lot of grass, which is favorable for raising livestock. I use the land to grow elephant grass as food for the cows, and learn more about how to take good care of the cows. When the cows give birth, I will transfer the calves to other poor households.” Saying goodbye to Mr. Van with a firm handshake, his smile and eyes lit up with faith and hope.

Mr. Hoa Pho Nhun - Vice Chairman of the Red Cross Society of Ky Son district said: The form of support of the "Cow Bank" project is very practical. In addition to providing breeding animals and "fishing rods" to people, it also teaches people how to fish (instructing on livestock raising techniques), thus promoting people's responsibility towards the support capital. In particular, through the project, many families have realized that traditional livestock raising methods cause cattle to grow slowly and are susceptible to many diseases; switching to a form of raising animals that combines grazing with growing elephant grass as feed for livestock, knowing how to build barns for livestock, knowing how to prevent diseases, bringing high economic efficiency; the village environment is cleaner, trees and crops are better protected... And the important thing is that people have gradually changed their mindset of waiting and relying on the support of the State, actively exploiting the potential of land and labor to develop the economy, helping each other escape poverty...

Tran Van Duc

Ky Son District Party Committee Office