Ten years in my new hometown, Van Mon.

This year, due to drought, the high-yield cassava crop on the hillside fields has failed. Village head Luong Van Thai has encouraged villagers to switch to planting timber trees, which have long-term economic value while also preserving the forest and ecological environment. Mr. Thai's family recently received 2100 saplings of the Lagerstroemia indica plant. The photo shows the saplings Mr. Thai is keeping in a shady spot, ready for planting.

Village head Luong Van Thai waters his vegetable garden and ornamental plants using a pump hose that draws water from the Nam Ngan stream.

To date, Mr. Thai's family has planted the third crop of acacia trees. Currently, acacia wood sells for 3.2 million VND/m³ in the village.³According to Mr. Thai, this means that mahogany wood is currently "at a good price".

Starting with one cow provided by the project, the family of Mr. Lo Van Pen and Ms. Hap Thi Hoa has developed a herd of 5 cows, raised in confinement.

Ms. Vi Thi Linh takes care of her livestock. Ms. Linh said that in the past, the O-du people were only used to letting their animals roam freely, but now the whole village raises them in enclosures.

A small corner in Ms. Vi Thi Linh's garden is used for growing onions.

The family of Mr. Lo Van Toi runs a grocery store providing some essential goods for the people in Van Mon village.

Ms. Cụt Thị Kiện still maintains the habit of carrying rice stalks from her field to thresh for dinner.

According to the people of Van Mon village, using a traditional rice pounding mortar results in "tastier rice."

Mr. Lo Van Xang is shirtless while repairing the TV remote, preparing to provide entertainment for the whole family in the evening.

Ms. Lo Thi Hien, wife of Mr. Lo Van Xang, is preparing wild bamboo shoots for the evening meal.

his homeLo Van Tan has become a football field for the children of Van Mon village. Lo Van Tan acts as both the "manager," providing the balls in the form of green pomelos, and as a spectator. In the photo, Mr. Tan is sitting on the upper floor of his stilt house, intently watching a football play.

The road connecting Tuong Duong district with Quy Hop district, passing through Van Mon village, is quite deserted, becoming a place where children in the village practice their "downhill cycling" and "hill climbing" skills. This is a familiar sight to city children, but completely alien to life 10 years ago, when the O-du people still lived primarily relying on the mountains and forests in the vast wilderness.

• Concerns about O Du culture
• The "Cham phtroong trmay" festival of the O Du people
• Lesson 4: The Lo clan and the worry about the absence of the O Du language.
• Speaking "Thai, O Du" to enhance the effectiveness of propaganda.