Unleash the power of the people to build public welfare facilities.

(Baonghean) - Over the past four years of operation in Quy Chau district, in addition to mobilizing ODA funds from the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium and counterpart funds from the budget, the Poris Project has stimulated the active contribution of the people in building welfare facilities in the area. The "Community Center" in Hanh Khai village, Tan Lac town, is one of dozens of projects built with the contributions of labor and resources from ethnic minority communities.

Leading us on a tour of the newly completed community center, still smelling of fresh paint, Mr. Tran Huy Lieu, head of Hanh Khai village, excitedly said: “Since the village was established, this is the first time the people have had such a spacious place for meetings, cultural activities, and community gatherings. Even more encouraging is that, in addition to the support and investment from the Poris Project and the district, the villagers have contributed their own money and resources to build this facility…” The community center (or cultural house) of the village has a total investment of over 600 million VND; of which, the Poris Project invested 450 million VND, and the remaining more than 150 million VND was contributed by 140 households in the village. According to the project management board in Quy Chau, the Hanh Khai village community center is one of the bright spots in promoting the positive role of the people. There, in addition to the project's investment, the local people have stepped in, contributing both financially to the construction and participating in supervision to ensure the quality and long-term effectiveness of the project.

Community center in Hanh Khai village - Tan Lac town.

Since August 2013, the community center of Hanh Khai village has been in use after 9 months of construction. To help complete the project early, many households in the village voluntarily cut down old trees and ceded land for construction. At the same time, the village management board worked closely with the village elders and influential people to actively mobilize villagers to contribute. Although the people's lives are still difficult, once the understanding was reached, families showed high levels of agreement in contributing funds. The contributions were divided equally among the households and paid in two installments to reduce the difficulty of fundraising. Throughout the construction process, Mr. Le Huu Uoc, an influential person in the village, was the most active in mobilizing the villagers and participating in supervision. Sharing his thoughts with us, Mr. Uoc said: “Now, whenever there’s a community gathering, the whole village comes together at the Community Center. Everyone is happy because their contribution is felt there. The villagers’ lives seem happier and more connected after the project was completed and put into use…”

The overall objective of the Poris Project is to promote socio-economic development for the poor through support for public administration reform and the construction of welfare facilities at the grassroots level. The beneficiaries are the people in the 12 communes and towns of Quy Chau district. Over the years, the project has invested in nearly 40 infrastructure projects of varying sizes in all communes and towns of the district, focusing mainly on priority activities such as: building community centers, water supply facilities, irrigation canals, and transportation infrastructure. Through these projects, the project aims to raise awareness and responsibility among the people, contributing to the successful construction of these facilities for long-term use. One of the advantages of the Poris Project is that its implementation process ensures community participation, increasing the quality and effectiveness of the project at the grassroots level.

Text and photos:Nguyen Ha