“Accompanying women in the border areas” brings sharing to the border areas

Material support

Ms. Luong Thi Luyen's family in Nhon Mai village, communeNhon Mai(Tuong Duong) is 1 of 5 households receiving support from the program "Accompanying women in the border areas".

In 2019, Ms. Luyen and 4 other families were given piglets to raise for economic development, thanks to which all 5 households escaped poverty. “I never thought that I could escape poverty, before there were many meals without rice to eat. It was all thanks to the care of the sisters and the Nhon Mai Border Guard Station,” Ms. Luong Thi Luyen expressed.

Ms. Lo Thi Huong - President of the Women's Union of Nhon Mai commune said that the program "Accompanying women in the border areas", specifically the Women's Union of Hoang Mai town, has supported disadvantaged women in the commune with a total budget of 60 million VND. Since 2018, the women have regularly organized thematic activities and training courses on economic development, and supported an initial capital of 40 million VND for 5 poor women members to invest in loans to buy breeding cows. Up to now, the cows have grown to 6 more, bringing the total number to 11 cows. Thanks to that, all 5 households of the 5 poor women members have escaped poverty sustainably.

The program "Accompanying women in the border areas" supports poor women in Nhon Mai commune, Tuong Duong. Photo: HT

Not only the families of women in Nhon Mai commune, in the border areas of Nghe An, dozens of other families of women also received support.companionpractical, helping many households escape poverty sustainably.

Cua Rao Village, Mon Son Commune (Con Cuong), a resettlement village for the Dan Lai people, has seen many changes in the last days of November. The most notable is that the main roads of the village have been concreted solidly and are spacious, meeting the standards of new rural roads. The small 2-room tiled house of Ms. La Thi Ha is located right next to the newly completed concrete road.

"Accompanying women in the border areas" is an activity implementing the Joint Program of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union and the High Command.Border Guard, The Standing Committee of the Provincial Women's Union and the Provincial Border Guard Command organized the signing of Program No. 206/KHPN/BĐBP-HLHPN dated April 27, 2018 on implementing activities for the period 2018 - 2020 and providing specific instructions to 21 districts, cities, town associations and Women's Unions of the armed forces units to implement the coordination program.

Ms. Ha was born in 1979 but looks old before her age; her husband is currently working as a hired hand in Laos but has not returned home for half a year and has not sent any money back. She is alone at home raising 3 school-age children, who are constantly sick and unemployed, but fortunately have cows and goats to raise. Talking about the family's cows and goats, Ms. Ha is very happy, enthusiastically showing off her family's "treasures" leisurely grazing in the backyard. According to Ms. Ha, these living "treasures" are gifts donated by female members in the lowlands, in neighboring provinces and agencies and units. That gift has become a source of livelihood for the family. "If there are no cows, there are goats from the Provincial Women's Union andMon Son Border Guard Station"Because of the donation, my children had to drop out of school, and I also had no money to buy medicine," said La Thi Ha.

Officers of Mon Son Border Guard Station visited the family of La Thi Ha (pictured above) and La Thi Nguyet. Photo: HT

Also in Cua Rao village, we visited the family of Mrs. La Thi Nguyet - a "model" of economic development of the Dan Lai people in this border commune. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Tran Thanh - Mon Son Border Guard Station said that before 2019, Mrs. La Thi Nguyet's family was poor, and Mrs. Nguyet and her husband and her son and their husband could only live on a small plot of land. In 2 years (2019 - 2020), Mon Son Border Guard Station gave her family a breeding cow and a flock of 50 chickens to help the family as a source of capital for economic development; The Women's Union of Cua Lo Town and Cua Lo Port Border Guard Station gave her another cow and 2 goats, which helped her family build up capital and gradually become well-off. Now, not only did she buy another buffalo, but last October, her family also bought a rice milling machine, increasing their income.

Chairwoman of the Women's Union of Mon Son Commune - Vi Thi Thuy Duong said that Ms. La Thi Ha and Ms. La Thi Nguyet are 2 of 6 families that the Provincial Women's Union connected with the Nam Dinh Border Guard Command, the Women's Union of Cua Lo Town in conjunction with the Cua Lo - Ben Thuy Port Border Guard Station to donate money to each household to buy 1 breeding cow.

In Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong), the accompanying steps of the Provincial Women's Union with organizations and individuals through the model "Raising black pigs for economic development" have helped 20 disadvantaged member households have capital to buy breeding pigs, each household received 5 million VND in support. Poor member households have used the supported capital to raise pigs, chickens, and cows (19 households raise pigs, 1 household raises cows). Currently, the number of pigs being raised is 50, the number of cows being raised is 2, helping member households gradually escape poverty sustainably every day.

The Provincial Women's Union and Red Cross Society visited and presented gifts to poor female members in Na Ngoi commune. Photo: HT

Depending on the terrain and climate characteristics to choose the appropriate form of support, in the border commune of Na Ngoi (Ky Son), the program "Accompanying women in the border areas" has chosen the livelihood model "Raising black chickens" to help women here escape poverty. Implemented since 2019 with the support of the Provincial Red Cross Society, it has helped 20 poor member households in 2 villages, Phu Kha 2 and Tang Phan village, 100 million VND to buy black chicken breeds.

Spiritual encouragement

In Pha Mut village, Nhon Mai commune, instead of constantly worrying about the house collapsing, since living in the new house, Gia Y Tranh's face has become much brighter and more radiant. In addition to farming and collecting forest products to raise their two young children, the older one is only 3 years old, Gia Y Tranh and her husband also take care of their uncle and his wife who are unable to work, living on only 600,000 VND in support for the disabled and elderly each month. The life of food and clothing makes Gia Y Tranh look miserable, worrying about daily meals and taking care of her children and disabled uncle, so the house has been dilapidated and torn for many years.

“Many rainy nights I did not dare to sleep because I was worried about the house collapsing and the rainwater”, Ms. Gia Y Tranh confided. Now her worries have been dispelled since the “Accompanying Women in the Borderlands” program raised donations and called for help to build a sturdy house for her and her husband. The joy of having a new house, combined with the happiness of receiving timely care and sharing, has helped Ms. Gia Y Tranh feel more excited in life, giving her and her husband more motivation to be enthusiastic, work harder and be more active in participating in collective activities of the village and hamlet.

Women in the Tuong Duong border area are happy to receive support from women's associations at all levels in Dien Chau, Quynh Luu, Nghi Loc, Thai Hoa, Yen Thanh, and Hoang Mai districts. Photo: PV

Also in Nhon Mai commune, the support of the program "Accompanying women in the border areas" not only came to Ms. Gia Y Tranh, but also brought great spiritual encouragement to women such as Vi Thi Chien in Nhon Mai village, Lu Thi Uoc in Na Hy village... Ms. Lu Thi Uoc (born in 1990) was often sick, and unfortunately her husband died early of cancer, leaving her with the burden of raising 3 children and parents on both sides of the family who were also in dire straits both materially and spiritually. Fortunately, as Ms. Uoc confided, the light of faith gradually returned to her when she received breeding cows donated by various associations and benefactors. The donated breeding cow has now bred more, creating a source of income for Ms. Uoc's family, creating hope for a brighter future for her and her young children.

It can be seen that through trips, tireless companionship and sharing, the program "Accompanying women in the border areas" has provided material support, partly improving the lives of women members in border communes; at the same time, encouraging and motivating women to raise their awareness and understanding in all aspects.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh Hoa - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, ChairwomanProvincial Women's Unionsaid that the program "Accompanying women in the border areas" has been implemented for 3 years (2018 - 2020) throughout the province. The Provincial Women's Union coordinated with the Provincial Border Guard Command to connect with units such as the Nam Dinh Provincial Women's Union, Hoa Binh Tourism Joint Stock Company, Son Tra District Women's Union (Da Nang City), Venerable Thich Dam Thanh, the Provincial Red Cross Society to deploy livelihood support models for border women in Na Ngoi commune (Ky Son), Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong), Mon Son commune (Con Cuong), Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong) with a budget of more than 270 million VND. After 3 years, 24/24 Women's Unions of districts, cities, towns, and military units have deployed activities in response to the program "Accompanying women in the border areas" to support women in border communes. The total resources to implement the program from 2018 - 2020 achieved more than 2.8 billion VND.

The Women's Union of Cua Lo Town donated breeding cows to poor women in My Ly commune, Ky Son district. Photo: PV

The Women's Union at all levels also organized activities to help members in border communes overcome the consequences of floods and difficulties. The unions at all levels also coordinated with the provincial Border Guard, border posts, and related departments and branches to mobilize resources to support members and poor women in border communes to carry out the movement "Turning scrap into breeding stock"; launching donations of "Old textbooks", "Border medicine cabinets" and other volunteer activities. Thanks to that, in just 3 years, 20 "Shelters of love" have been built, 4 sets of computers and printers have been donated, many models of livestock breeding and production have been invested in, hundreds of essential items such as blankets, clothes, and school supplies for students in border areas...

The activities accompanying women in the border areas are increasingly spreading to every member of the women's union in the whole province and also to other provinces. The program's accompanying steps not only provide material support and spiritual encouragement to women in the border areas, but also, as the President of the Women's Union of Cua Lo town, Phung Thi Hanh, confided, "Not only the recipients are happy, but also those who are given and accompanied like us are also inspired with love and motivated to continue sharing"./.