In late April, the border area of Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong district was as hot as a "fire pan". About 20 minutes by motorbike from the commune center, we met Ms. Vi Thi Anh walking hurriedly in the scorching sun.
Ms. Anh is a Tay Poong ethnic, born in 1986, and has taken on many roles at once: Secretary of the Phong village Party cell, Vice President of the Tam Hop commune Women's Union, and a delegate to the Tam Hop commune and Tuong Duong district People's Councils. Wiping away the sweat on her forehead after having just returned from a field trip to inspect some irrigation works in the area, Ms. Anh said: "I went to inspect to feel more secure. Currently, the water source is basically stable for production and daily life of the people, unlike two years ago when people complained a lot about the dam in Na Poong."
Speaking more about the issue of Na Poong dam, Ms. Anh said that in 2021, the dam located at the headwaters of the stream flowing through Phong village and Tam Hop villages was damaged, the dam bank collapsed, causing the water to not be able to be stored much. Therefore, it caused a local shortage of irrigation water for production for 24 hectares of rice fields in Phong village, and people reported it to the village officials. Ms. Anh and the village officials went to inspect and then reported it to the competent authorities many times, especially at the meetings of voters of the People's Council delegates of Tuong Duong district. Thanks to that, the district has allocated funds for timely repair of the dam. Similarly, the 9km road from Xop Nam village to Phong village was eroded in many sections. Thanks to the role of delegate Vi Thi Anh as a "bridge", the people's recommendations were reported to the higher authorities, and the damaged points that caused traffic safety problems on the road were promptly repaired.
Phong village has 167 households, 696 Tay Poong people, of which 117 are poor households, life is difficult, so a daughter who graduated from a teacher training college like Ms. Anh is a "rare commodity" in the village. As a woman holding many positions, Ms. Anh always tries to arrange family and social affairs properly. Besides actively propagating to help people grasp the policies, laws of the State, and local regulations; boldly change the way of thinking and doing to develop the economy.
Ms. Anh also pays attention to timely grasping issues related to people's livelihood to act as a "bridge" with local Party committees, authorities and functional agencies. Most recently, voters expressed their desire to be interested in building a bridge for people to go to the production area in Khe Bun because during the rainy season, it is difficult to travel. The commune has established a team to survey and inspect the field to find solutions to remove difficulties for the people.
Talking about the spirit, responsibility, and closeness in grasping the grassroots situation of elected representative Vi Thi Anh, Mr. Le Hong Thai - Secretary of the Party Committee of Tam Hop commune said: Although taking on many roles, Ms. Anh always strives to learn, improve knowledge, qualifications, capacity, uphold the spirit and responsibility in work; seriously listen to voters' opinions, closely follow the grassroots to supervise the implementation of the Party's policies and the State's laws. The issues that Ms. Anh grasps and conveys such as the implementation of regimes and policies for the elderly, the economic development loan policy of the women's association, support for seedlings in agricultural production, etc. are all explained and resolved promptly, contributing to creating people's trust in the Party and government.
In Lang Khe commune, Con Cuong district, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy (Thai ethnic group) always promotes the role and responsibility of an elected representative and a local leader to promptly resolve problems arising at the grassroots level. Not only is she a representative of the 3rd term District People's Council, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy has also held the roles of Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee; Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People's Council and is currently the Chairman of the People's Committee of Lang Khe commune. Ms. Thuy shared: "As a leader of the Commune People's Committee, receiving and resolving people's petitions is also more convenient. Because through activities of meeting voters and supervisions of the People's Council, the People's Council representative who is also a leader will grasp the reality and have more timely instructions on issues under local authority".
For example, the difficulties and distances in traffic routes between villages in Lang Khe in previous years have always been issues of concern to people, reflected at meetings and through voter contact activities. Typically, the road connecting Yen Hoa village to Dong Tien village, the road from Chom Lom village to Yen Hoa village is muddy, many sections are cut off during the rainy season. During the meetings with villages and receiving feedback, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy actively reflected both directly at the district People's Council meetings and in writing to the higher-level departments and branches, requesting funding for upgrading and repairing. And by the end of 2022, both of these roads had been approved by the district People's Committee for investment policy and were preparing to start construction.
Speaking more about the timely proposals and reflections of the People's Council delegates, especially the role of the People's Committee Chairman Lo Thi Thuy, Mr. Loc Vinh Theu - Vice Chairman of the People's Council of Lang Khe commune gave an example, in 2021, grasping the people's reflections on some ineffective crops, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy went to the field, directed the proposal to change the crop structure in some areas of Lang Khe commune. At the same time, the commune leaders also contacted Pu Mat Medicinal Materials Joint Stock Company to cooperate with people to grow and consume medicinal plant products. After 2 years of implementation, up to now, the conversion of crop structure has brought high economic efficiency to nearly 1.4 hectares of medicinal plants in the villages of Lang Khe. Previously, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy, together with local Party and government leaders, actively connected with businesses to purchase output products for the people, such as connecting with Song Lam Sugarcane Company to purchase sugarcane, Hoa Son Cassava Factory (Anh Son) to purchase cassava... to help local people feel secure in production.
Having grown up from the grassroots, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy always goes deep, closely follows, grasps the local situation and proves her "promise" to voters with concrete actions. What she cares about most in the activities of the elected body is that the thoughts and aspirations of voters are thoroughly resolved, not only at the commune level but also at higher levels. For issues under local authority, after receiving voters' opinions, Ms. Lo Thi Thuy will direct relevant departments to focus on resolving, prioritizing issues related to the immediate interests of the people such as land disputes and site clearance.
For issues related to capital construction investment, or long-term agricultural production issues, direct relevant groups and individuals to survey and develop projects for step-by-step implementation. For issues beyond her authority, elected representative Lo Thi Thuy will survey, study laws and related documents, seek opinions from all levels and sectors to convey the correct content and address at district People's Council meetings; at the same time, monitor and track the results of handling each specific case and matter to respond to voters.
Among the delegates of the Que Phong District People's Council for the 2021-2026 term, the Mong ethnic minority delegate Lau Y Pay is mentioned by many people with trust and respect. Ms. Lau Y Pay is a teacher living in a remote village with difficult traffic and roads, but for decades, she has left early and returned late every day, working side by side with the villagers to improve the quality of child care and education.
Ms. Sam Thi Thanh - President of the Women's Union of Que Phong district said: Lau Y Pay is a typical example of a Mong ethnic woman who has overcome herself and difficult barriers to become a teacher, a district People's Council delegate, an exemplary women's association president, a shining example inspiring Mong ethnic women to learn and follow.
It is known that Lau Y Pay was born and raised in Ky Son district in a large family. Difficulties, poverty, and the patriarchal ideology in the community could not extinguish the young girl's desire for knowledge. As a result, Y Pay passed the entrance exam to Nghe An Pedagogical College. After graduating from the Pedagogical College, Lau Y Pay got married and became a teacher at Huoi Moi Kindergarten, Tri Le commune, Que Phong district. Huoi Moi is a village near the Vietnam - Laos border with more than 800 people. The village has 5 classes, including 1 preschool and kindergarten class with 35 students taught by teacher Y Pay and another teacher. As a Mong ethnic group, knowledgeable about the customs and practices of the ethnic group, in addition to teaching in class, in the evenings, teacher Lau Y Pay visited each student's house to talk, helping people know the advantages and disadvantages of illiteracy, and encouraging parents to continue sending their children to school. Teacher Y Pay's efforts have contributed to improving the quality of education in ethnic minority areas, so for many years, Ms. Y Pay has been an excellent teacher at the school level. During the commendation ceremony for teachers in remote areas organized by Que Phong district, along with 6 other teachers, teacher Lau Y Pay was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the People's Committee of Que Phong district.
Not only doing well in the role of a sower of faith and literacy in remote villages, teacher Lau Y Pay was also elected by the people as a delegate of the District People's Council for the 2021-2026 term. Mr. Vi Van Cuong - Chairman of the People's Committee of Tri Le commune said: Ms. Lau Y Pay is not only dedicated and committed to teaching, but in her position as a delegate of the District People's Council, she also boldly conveyed the voices, thoughts, and legitimate aspirations of the people to the authorities at all levels. Especially issues related to the rights of women and children in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; the current situation of difficulties in teaching and learning in remote villages; proposing to all levels and sectors to call for and support the construction of schools, support and help disadvantaged students go to school. Currently, the Party Committee of Tri Le commune is completing the dossier to propose official recognition of Party membership for teacher Lau Y Pay".
On her part, Ms. Y Pay confided that becoming a district People's Council delegate helped her become more mature in work and life. But the happiest thing is that her efforts to travel across the mountains to spread knowledge have "ignited the fire" for the young generation in the highlands in general, and Mong women in particular, to actively study, strive, and reach their dreams.
According to local leaders, practice has shown that not only have they fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as people's representatives well, but many female representatives from ethnic minorities have also become professional cadres or good leaders and managers, fulfilling their political tasks well in their agencies and units; having many dedicated opinions contributing to helping People's Councils and Party committees and authorities at all levels promptly issue practical policies that are in line with voters' thoughts and aspirations; directly impacting the socio-economic development of localities.
