New avenues for poverty alleviation for the Dan Lai people in Thin village.

A long journey of "escape"

In his unfinished house in Thin village, Mr. La Van Phuoc (72 years old) reminisced: "A long time ago, our ancestors lived in the Hoa Quan area (now part of Thanh Chuong district). Oppressed and exploited, our ancestors fled through the forest and up the river to the upper reaches of the Giang River – now Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district – to make a living."

Life in isolation amidst the vast Pù Mát forest is far from easy. Harsh nature, disease, wild animals, and countless shortages force the Dan Lai people to eke out a living surrounded by mountains and rivers, facing poverty year-round.

But as the country underwent reforms, the Party and the State prioritized policies to preserve and develop ethnic minorities.Dan LaiInfrastructure for transportation, healthcare, and education has been invested in; the Dan Lai people have been supported in moving out of the core of the highlands, expanding their interactions with other ethnic groups. "More than 30 years ago, some of us were helped to relocate from Khe Khang, upstream of the Giang River, to settle in the Thin village area, next to Khe Kem stream," Mr. Phuoc recounted.

The new land – Team 3, Khe Moi village, Thin village cluster – became a place of settlement. Initially, there were only a few families, but gradually, the older generation invited their relatives and fellow villagers to join them in building the village and clearing the land.

To date, Thin village has 38 households, 40 houses, with 178 inhabitants. Life is less difficult than before, but poverty still persists. Currently, more than 95% of households in Thin village are classified as poor. Nevertheless, signs of change have been and are emerging…

Mr. Phuoc confided: "For the first 20 years of settlement, life in Thin village was mainly self-sufficient. It wasn't until later, when the government, district, and commune built a temporary bridge over the Kem stream, connecting the village to the Tra Lan town – Kem stream road, and opened more inter-commune roads, that life began to change. People engaged in trade, broadened their horizons, their children went to secondary and high school, and then went to work far away, no longer confined to gathering or relying on the small, barren rice paddies."

In particular, at the beginning of 2021, a sturdy, flood-resistant bridge over the Kèm stream was inaugurated, thanks to the joint efforts of the Con Cuông District People's Committee and a volunteer group.FaithSince then, transportation is no longer disrupted during the rainy season, agricultural products are no longer stockpiled, and the path to school for children is wider open. Many households have been able to buy motorbikes, extending their journeys. The Dan Lai people in Thin village now truly have a brighter future.

Opening up new avenues of development thinking.

With the continuous expansion of electricity, roads, schools, and health stations, the village of Thỉn has undergone positive changes. Outdated customs are gradually being pushed back; child marriage has decreased. The villagers have implemented family planning. The education of their children is also receiving better attention.

Previously, students in Thin village only completed primary school and then stopped attending classes. Now, some have completed high school. Young people from the village, who used to leave to work as laborers or harvest acacia trees in neighboring provinces, now have jobs as factory workers in industrial zones, and two have gone abroad for work – one of whom is Mr. Phuoc's nephew.

However, practical experience also shows that for the Dan Lai people in Thin village to truly escape poverty, the development problem needs a more fundamental solution. Limited arable land, low levels of education, and a large but largely untrained young workforce are existing challenges. Nevertheless, in the distant future, Thin village holds great opportunities for development – ​​especially through tourism.

Ms. Luong Thi Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Luc Da commune, said: "The local government has made great efforts to support the people of Thin village in the fight against poverty and in integrating into modern life. From supporting production loans, guiding farming and livestock techniques, promoting labor export, to mobilizing efforts to repair and build houses for poor households... In the past two years, thanks to the joint efforts of the government and charitable organizations, Thin village has had 6 houses repaired and 1 new house built."

Infrastructure conditions are becoming increasingly favorable for tourism development. The road from National Highway 7 to the Khe Kem waterfall tourist area has been completed, facilitating the transportation of agricultural products and welcoming tourists. The Mon Son – Luc Da – Khe Kem route is under construction and will soon be completed, transforming Thinh village into a strategic intersection point.

Bản Thỉn also boasts picturesque natural scenery along the Kèm stream, preserving many beautiful cultural features and customs of the Dan Lai people. Some houses in the village have begun to be renovated into homestays to welcome guests.

In particular, the A&B Group is promoting investment in the Khe Kem Waterfall tourist area with a 5-star eco-tourism complex covering 5 hectares – including a Glamping Tent Resort, a Vietnamese ethnic cultural village, health and wellness tourism, and a green technology forest... The formation of the resort will create demand for community tourism services, opening up great opportunities for the development of Thin village.

Ms. Luong Thi Hien, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Luc Da commune, said: "The necessary conditions are already in place. The sufficient condition is to have research, investment, and guidance programs and projects to help the people of Thin village develop tourism. When the mindset of production changes, it will create new strengths for the Dan Lai people here to 'escape' from hunger and poverty."