'Agricultural extension workers' in border villages

Border guards in Hanh Dich help local people develop their 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 the family of Mr. Lo Van Thai in Hanh Tien village, Hanh Dich commune, develop their economy and alleviate poverty. Although he was a community mobilization officer with many years of experience working in border areas, it's difficult to fully describe the difficulties and challenges he faced when undertaking this new responsibility entrusted to him by his superiors.

However, with his character and qualities, Le Van Thom has played his role well, actively researching and proposing solutions to help his family develop economically and alleviate poverty.

For people in mountainous areas, the shortest and most effective way to disseminate the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws, is through concrete actions. For example, to encourage people to eradicate poverty and develop the economy, we must show them how to do it, explain why wet rice cultivation is better than dry rice cultivation, and highlight the advantages of raising livestock.

Hailing from Dien Chau and already familiar with farming, coupled with the experience he accumulated during his years working in the border region, Major Le Van Thom quickly became an agricultural extension worker for Mr. Lo Van Thai's family. On the family's fields and hillsides, where trees had previously not grown well, new green foliage began to appear.

To establish 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 provide labor for land preparation, and he personally went back to his hometown of Dien Chau to select and plant the vegetable seeds. For the first season, he chose cabbage, as it is a cold-tolerant variety that is easy to preserve after harvesting. Thanks to planting at the right time and following proper technical procedures, the vegetable crop brought Mr. Thai's family millions of dong in income after harvest.

Mr. Lo Van Thai shared: "My family is only used to farming based on traditional experience, we don't understand the techniques very well, and my grandparents are getting old. Thanks to the help of the uncles in preparing the land, Uncle Thom bought the seeds and guided my family on planting techniques and how to care for the plants to achieve a more efficient harvest."

Developing the VACR model

Following the principle of using short-term gains to support long-term growth, after securing initial capital, Le Van Thom encouraged his family to develop livestock and poultry farming, and to dig ponds for fish farming. From a poor household, after four years of support from officers and soldiers of the Hanh Dich Border Guard Post, especially Major Le Van Thom, in guiding and assisting in economic development, Mr. Lo Van Thai's family escaped poverty, and his family's economic model became a model for family economic development in Hanh Tien village. The people in the village also followed Mr. Thai's model to develop their own household economies.

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

Besides Mr. Thai's family, Major Le Van Thom is currently assigned by the Party Committee of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station to oversee five households in the area in economic development and poverty alleviation. Major Le Van Thom said that to successfully help people overcome poverty, the only way is to go deep and close to the people, understand their thoughts and aspirations, and listen directly to their opinions. With that in mind, he has been present in every village, working hand-in-hand with the people. He proactively proposes solutions to help families develop their economy and successfully alleviate poverty.

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

Major Phan Nhat Thanh, Political Officer of Hanh Dich Border Guard Station, said: “Comrade Le Van Thom has performed his role very well, directly advising the station's command on building economic development models and strengthening the political base in the area. Especially the family of Mr. Lo Van Thai, who was once a poor family with two elderly parents unable to work, but after 4 years with the guidance and assistance of Comrade Thom, their income from the VACR model has reached 10-15 million VND per crop, and the family has escaped poverty. Many families in the village have also followed this model.”