"Golden Bell" to Quang Phong

(Baonghean) -Phong Quang village, Que Son commune, Que Phong district has just received support from the District Rural Development Board for 20 Sind crossbred cows, using capital of 135/CP, to give to 10 families in especially difficult circumstances, according to the program "Golden Bells" of VTV1. Before receiving the cows, these households committed to raising them for 8 years or more and after 1 year, they would be removed from the list of poor households...

Together with the staff of the Rural Development Board of Que Phong district, we went to Phong Quang hamlet of Que Son commune to listen to and see the model of production support, sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction. The first person we met was the hamlet chief Ho Hien. At nearly 12 noon, the hamlet chief was still enthusiastically and excitedly telling us about the cow breeding model supported by the district for 10 households with difficult circumstances in the hamlet.

When asked why the district chose 10 households in his hamlet to implement the "Golden Bell" cow raising model, Mr. Hien confided: "Phong Quang is a hamlet with a majority of Kinh people, but the rate of poor households is still high. The hamlet has 149 households, of which 39 are poor. During the 20 years of being the hamlet chief, I have heard a lot about the State's policies to support the mountainous people in economic development, but Phong Quang hamlet has not directly benefited from any project. In early 2012, I boldly went to the district to ask for an investment project for the people in the hamlet to benefit from. After that, the Mountainous Rural Development Board suggested implementing a Sind crossbred cow raising model in the hamlet, I immediately agreed. The model was provided with 20 breeding cows. The purpose is to support poor families to escape poverty.



Mr. Tran Van Truong's family's "Golden Bell" cow is well cared for.

Before receiving the cows, the hamlet set a rule that any household that would receive the cows had to raise them for at least 8 years, and after one year had to register to escape poverty. After hearing this, all the poor households in the hamlet volunteered to receive the cows. So which household would they give the cows to? The hamlet chief had to organize another meeting, with representatives from 39 poor households. The criteria were that any household that met three conditions would have labor, be capable of building barns, and have veterinary knowledge. With an objective and democratic spirit, the meeting selected 10 families. After voting, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan's family did not want to receive the cows anymore, for fear that they would no longer be eligible for the poor household policy. Knowing Mrs. Lan's intention, her relatives and the hamlet chief met to discuss and analyze... Hearing that it made sense, Mrs. Lan did not miss the opportunity, directly meeting with the hamlet, commune officials, and the Mountainous Rural Development Board to ask to receive the cows.

At the end of June 2012, the Board, together with the commune and hamlet authorities, held a ceremony to hand over 20 Sind crossbred cows to 10 households. The handover was similar to the VTV1 program “Golden Bells”. 10 pairs of cows were separated, and families took turns drawing lots to receive cows to raise. Families who received cows were also trained in care techniques, supported in building barns, and provided with V6 grass seeds for planting.

When visiting Mr. Tran Van Truong's family, the whole family excitedly took us to see the two Sind crossbred cows in the barn. Mr. Truong boasted that his two children go to school in the morning and take turns herding and cutting grass for the cows in the afternoon. After 3 months of raising them, the cows have grown up quite a lot. The family's life has been difficult since their parents let them live separately. With the support of the State, two cows that give birth at the same time are the family's greatest asset. Therefore, the couple arranged land to grow grass to proactively feed the cows. After a year, the two cows will give birth, and what the couple has long dreamed of will come true, which is to escape poverty. Not only Mr. Truong's family, all 10 families that received cows share that joy!

Xuan Hoang