Bringing a new life to border villages.
(Baonghean.vn)Today, border guards not only excel in their duties of guarding the border and combating crime, but they also act as "midwives" in the fight against poverty for the people in border regions. It can be said that in villages where the footprints and sweat of these green-uniformed soldiers are deeply felt, life is improving day by day.
We once traveled upstream along the Giang River to visit the Dan Lai ethnic minority people living in the core area of Pu Mat National Park. For generations, the people of Khe Bung and Co Phat villages (Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district) have only been accustomed to living off the products of the mountains and forests, so their lives have always been one of poverty and hardship.
Currently, their lives cannot be said to have escaped poverty, but it is clear that the village is becoming brighter, and the people's awareness is gradually improving. The soldiers at the Khe Bung checkpoint of the Mon Son Border Guard Post recounted the hardships and difficulties they faced more than two years ago, when they came here to patrol, control, and build infrastructure to help the people develop socio-economically.
The joy of the people of Khe Bung village, Mon Son commune (Con Cuong district) on the day of the inauguration of the combined military-civilian medical station.
The difficulties in the sacred forest and poisonous waters were not as daunting as the task of persuading the Dan Lai people to abandon outdated customs and become familiar with farming and production methods. There was no other way than to guide them step by step and build effective models for them to follow. And now, the people have learned to raise pigs for meat, raise buffalo and cattle for plowing, reclaim land for cultivation, and bring water to grow rice.
More importantly, the Dan Lai people have made significant progress in their awareness, thinking, and way of doing things. In addition, border guards and soldiers, in coordination with the Saigon Liberation Newspaper, built a combined military-civilian medical station in Bung village, worth 1 billion VND, from the "Truong Son Solidarity" program. From now on, the people can feel secure when they are sick, and outdated customs in medical examination and treatment will be eliminated.
Next to the health station is the newly inaugurated and put into use Bung Village Primary School, worth 2.5 billion VND, funded by the PetroVietnam Finance Corporation. In addition, many organizations and businesses have donated valuable gifts to the local people.
Recently, the lives of the Dan Lai ethnic people in Khe Bu village, Chau Khe commune (Con Cuong district) have undergone remarkable changes. For about three years now, since the Chau Khe Border Guard Post was established and stationed in the area, the people of Khe Bu have received special attention in building and developing their family economies, gradually improving their living standards. Officers and soldiers of the Chau Khe Border Guard Post have helped families in Khe Bu village borrow capital to develop pig farming.
Initially, the officers provided guidance on livestock farming techniques, building barns, and disease prevention. After more than a year, the families who received loans for livestock farming began to make a profit. They also provided some plant varieties, helping the Women's Association of the village develop an additional 5 hectares of cultivated land. The border guard station's command actively coordinated with organizations and associations to build "Great Solidarity" houses for poor war invalids and veterans in the village. As a result, the village's appearance is improving. Village head Le Van Canh shared: "Since the border guard station was established in the village, the people here have benefited greatly from the officers. Thanks to them, Khe Bu village is gradually becoming brighter..."
The Thai, Mong, and Khmu ethnic minority people in the border villages of Nam Can and Ta Ca communes (Ky Son district) always express their love, trust, and gratitude whenever they mention the officers and soldiers of the Nam Can International Border Gate Border Guard Post. This is because the officers and soldiers have done practical things to help the people stabilize their lives and alleviate poverty.
Over the past period, the officers and soldiers of the outpost have established savings boxes to support impoverished families. They have voluntarily reduced their monthly expenses, even skipping breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays to help their fellow villagers. Currently, they are experimenting with a lily cultivation model in Truong Son and Tien Tieu villages (Nam Can commune). If this model proves effective, it will be replicated and could be a way out of poverty for the people in this mountainous border region.
Tuong Anh
