Enthusiasm "resolves" difficulties.

(Baonghean) - The people of Tien Thanh village (Chau Thanh commune, Quy Hop district) are mostly Thai ethnic people whose main occupation is agriculture. The village is poor, not only because of its remote location and outdated production methods, but also because many families have large numbers of children. Poverty, therefore, seems to cling to them persistently. One person has contributed to the changes and progress of Tien Thanh today, through perseverance, patience, and enthusiasm: population collaborator Vi Thi Thong...

Ms. Vi Thi Thong went around mobilizing the women in the village.

Born in 1964, and having participated in the Farmers' Association and Women's Association for many years, Ms. Vi Thi Thong's greatest concern was how to improve the lives of her villagers. Clearly, the State has implemented practical policies to support the people, and they have also benefited from many preferential policies from the province and district for disadvantaged villages and communes. Yet, the vicious cycle of poverty persists. This cycle cannot be broken if the people's awareness remains stagnant. With poverty and large families, there is certainly no time to work and escape poverty. These concerns motivated Ms. Thong to take on the role of population collaborator. With Ms. Thong as a population collaborator, the leaders of Chau Thanh commune have found a solution to their long-standing problem...

The job of "going door to door, knocking on every door, and reaching out to every individual" is, in reality, incredibly difficult. Meeting the villagers is hard enough, getting them to listen is even harder, and getting them to follow her advice is infinitely more challenging. The slippery village roads on rainy days and bumpy roads on sunny days bear the marks of Ms. Thong's diligent footsteps day and night. If she can't meet them during the day, she goes at night. If she can't find them at home, she goes to the fields. Wherever there is conflict, wherever a woman is feeling sad or distressed, wherever there is a need for sharing and support, Ms. Thong is there. The villagers, from annoyance to surprise and then emotion, confide in this enthusiastic collaborator. She, without them realizing it, has become a friend, a sister, a mother to the women of their village…

She also gained the trust of the elders in the village: "Mother Thong's womb is for the sake of our people," they said to each other. And it wasn't just about spreading awareness; she also had to promptly provide suitable contraceptive methods to each individual. She compiled a list of 137 women in the village who were of childbearing age and scheduled regular visits. Mr. Ngan Van Thang's house currently has four generations living together, including a young couple. Ms. Thong not only met with the young couple but also frequently visited the elderly in the house, asking them to remind their children and grandchildren to practice family planning and not crave "a lot of children" as before. Or, like the family of Ms. Luong Thi Duong, born in 1979, who already had two daughters, thanks to timely advice and encouragement, Ms. Duong and her husband decided not to have any more children. The concept of sons versus daughters is no longer so important to them. As a result, Ms. Duong and her husband have the means to run their business and provide their children with a good education...

For four years, Ms. Thong has been a population collaborator, and for four years, Tien Thanh village has had no third births. “Ms. Thong is a model collaborator of the commune. Thanks to her enthusiasm, all difficulties in population work have been resolved,” said Ms. Luong Thi Van, Deputy Head of the Population Committee of Chau Thanh commune, speaking about her collaborator. She also said that thanks to Ms. Thong and other collaborators, Chau Thanh has achieved unexpected successes: for the past three years, 9 out of 9 hamlets and villages in the commune have had no third births. The rate of malnourished children has gradually decreased, and 100% of children of school age attend school. Chau Thanh has become a model unit for population and family planning in Quy Hop district!

Xuan Hoang