'Agricultural extension workers' on the border

Hanh Dich Border Guard helps people develop vegetable gardens. Photo: Hai Thuong

Bringing seeds from Dien Chau to Hanh Dich

In 2018, Major Le Van Thom was assigned by the Party Committee of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station to help Mr. Lo Van Thai's family in Hanh Tien village, Hanh Dich commune develop the economy and reduce poverty. Although he is an officer working in mass mobilization and has worked in the border area for many years, it is difficult to describe all the difficulties and challenges he faced when taking on the new responsibility entrusted to him by his superiors.

However, with his own qualities and abilities, Le Van Thom has played his role well. He has actively researched and proposed solutions to help his family develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.

For the people in the mountainous areas, the shortest and most effective way to propagate the Party's policies and the State's laws to them is to be specific through actions. For example, to call on people to eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, and develop the economy, we must show them how to eliminate hunger, where growing wet rice is better than upland rice, what are the advantages of raising livestock...

Coming from his hometown of Dien Chau, and being familiar with the work of a farmer, combined with the experience he had accumulated over many years working in the border area, Major Le Van Thom quickly became an agricultural extension worker for Mr. Lo Van Thai’s family. On each field and swidden field, where the family’s trees had not grown in the past, new green has begun to appear.

To have a foundation for long-term economic development, Mr. Le Van Thom encouraged Mr. Thai's family to grow clean vegetables. Initially, he proposed that the unit support labor to prepare the land. Vegetable varieties were selected by him in his hometown of Dien Chau to grow. In the first season, he chose cabbage because this is a cold-resistant variety and easy to preserve after harvest. Because it was planted at the right time and cared for according to the right technical process, the vegetable crop brought Mr. Thai's family an income of millions of dong after harvest.

Mr. Lo Van Thai shared: The family is only used to doing things based on past experience, not understanding much about the technique, and the grandparents are old, so they asked the uncles to help with the land preparation, Uncle Thom bought seeds, and instructed the family on planting techniques and how to care for them for a more effective harvest.

VACR model development

With the motto of taking short-term to sustain long-term, when he had the initial capital, Le Van Thom mobilized his family to develop livestock and poultry farming, and dig ponds to raise fish. From a poor household, after 4 years of being accompanied by officers and soldiers of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station, especially Major Le Van Thom in guiding and helping to develop the economy, Mr. Lo Van Thai's family escaped poverty and his family's economic model became a model in developing family economy in Hanh Tien village. People in the village also followed Mr. Thai's model to develop family economy.

Le Van Thom (right cover) guides Mr. Lo Van Thai's family in developing the VACR model. Photo: Hai Thuong

In addition to Mr. Thai's family, Major Le Van Thom is currently assigned by the Party Committee of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station to be in charge of 5 households in the area in economic development and poverty reduction. Major Le Van Thom said that to help people successfully reduce poverty, the only way is to go deep, get close to the people, grasp their aspirations, and listen to their opinions directly. From that thought, he has been present in all villages, rolling up his sleeves "4 together" with the people. Proactively proposing solutions to help households develop the economy and successfully reduce poverty.

Major Le Van Thom is often present at households to provide technical support, helping people develop livestock farming and improve their lives. Photo: Hai Thuong

Major Phan Nhat Thanh - Political Commissar of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station said: "Comrade Le Van Thom has performed his role very well, directly advising the station command to build economic development models, consolidating political bases in the area. Especially the family of Mr. Lo Van Thai, from a poor household, 2 old people without labor, but after 4 years with the guidance and help of comrade Thom, the family's income from the VACR model has reached 10-15 million VND/crop, the family has escaped poverty. From this model, many households in the village have also learned to follow.