Nam Dan mobilizes all resources to build new rural areas.

(Baonghean) - Implementing the national target program for building new rural areas, along with integrated capital sources for investing in infrastructure, transportation, and schools, the people of Nam Dan have wholeheartedly contributed their efforts and money to build their homeland into an increasingly prosperous place.

In Nam Trung, the central commune of the Southern Zone 5, the joy of the people is clearly felt through stories of successful business ventures. Mr. Tran Van Tan, from Hamlet 13, shared: “Previously, life in my hometown was very difficult, with narrow and muddy roads. Now, with the joint efforts of the community and the support of the State, the roads have been paved with concrete, houses are spacious, and businesses are thriving. Life is changing every day.”

Cucumbers are a highly profitable crop in Nam Dan.

Besides government support, the crucial factor that helped Nam Trung achieve the New Rural Area (NRA) goal in 2014 was the unity and collective effort of the people. To ensure the successful implementation of the NRA program, the Party Committee issued a specialized resolution on building new rural areas, disseminating it to every official, Party member, and citizen. The people's right to self-governance in the process of implementing the criteria was maximized, especially in the construction of transportation infrastructure and cultural facilities.

In Hamlet 6, Xuan Hoa Commune, the handicraft, trade, and service sectors are thriving, with 50% of the population involved in these fields. Of the more than 100 households in the hamlet, nearly 70 are engaged in carpentry. Recently, the hamlet's carpentry industry was recognized as a traditional craft village, providing motivation for residents to confidently develop their ancestral craft. Along with this joyous occasion, Xuan Hoa Commune is urgently renovating village roads and alleys, completing remaining tasks to receive the New Rural Area (NRA) recognition certificate in 2015. Mr. Nguyen Le Lam, a resident of the commune, shared: “We understand that building a New Rural Area is primarily for the benefit of each household. The bridges, culverts, and roads are clean and well-maintained, making the transportation of raw materials and goods for the craft village much easier…”

After four years of implementing the New Rural Development program, the socio-economic infrastructure in Nam Dan district has been developed quite comprehensively. Over 285 km of rural roads of various types have been paved with asphalt or concrete, raising the total percentage of main roads in communes to 85%; many commune People's Committee offices, commune and village cultural centers have been upgraded or newly built; and classrooms at 42 schools of all levels (kindergarten, primary, secondary) and 11 commune health stations have been constructed in a modern and spacious manner. The total funding mobilized for infrastructure construction exceeded 830 billion VND.

A view of Kim Lien commune, a new rural area in Nam Dan district.

Throughout the process of building new rural areas, the district's Steering Committee has focused on directing communes to develop many production development models to increase people's income. To date, the district has established specialized vegetable and fruit growing areas in Nam Xuan, Nam Anh, and Nam Thanh communes; growing sweet potato leaves in Nam Thai, export-quality chili peppers in Hung Tien and Khanh Son communes; fattening cattle in Hong Long and Nam Cuong; and raising bio-secure chickens in Kim Lien, Nam Giang, and Nam Cat communes... Particularly noteworthy are the models of growing lilies in Nam Anh; and growing bitter melon and chives in Nam Xuan, yielding an income of 300-350 million VND/hectare/year. Production organization forms have been consolidated and developed in accordance with the spirit of Resolution No. 03-NQ/HU of the District Party Committee on innovation and development of agricultural cooperatives. To date, 36 out of 36 old cooperatives have been dissolved and 30 new agricultural service cooperatives have been established and are operating effectively.

The New Rural Development program in Nam Dan also received support from military units in the area, which contributed funds and mobilized officers and soldiers to help Nam Cat commune build a water tank for the kindergarten and upgrade the commune's football field. Warehouse KX5 participated in building a concrete road in Lien Son 2 hamlet, Kim Lien commune, with 80 days of labor, and also contributed to building a concrete road in Hamlet 8, Nam Thai commune. The units also donated an additional 20 tons of cement and 8 streetlights. The total value was nearly 100 million VND...

Along with economic development, the quality of comprehensive education is given attention, maintaining and improving the quality of universal primary education at the appropriate age and universal lower secondary education. Currently, there are 35 schools meeting national standards level 1 and 9 schools meeting level 2. The socialization of education continues to be implemented effectively, with the activities of community learning centers, district and commune scholarship funds, agencies, and clans increasingly being promoted, contributing to improving the quality of education. In the health sector, to date, 18 out of 23 communes have met national standards, accounting for 78.3%.

The movement "All people unite to build a cultured life in residential areas, linked with the movement to build new rural areas, cultural villages, and cultural families" has received attention. To date, the entire district has 218 out of 320 cultural hamlets, accounting for 68.1%. The communes have focused on directing investment in a synchronized system of cultural institutions, such as: investing in new construction, upgrading, and purchasing equipment for hamlet cultural houses according to new rural area standards...

Notably, the new rural development movement in Nam Dan has received strong support and consensus from the people. In 2014 alone, 480 households donated 9,130 ​​square meters of garden land, and 342 households dismantled 6,127 meters of fences, concentrated in communes such as Nam Trung, Hung Tien, Nam Hung, Nam Thai, and Khanh Son… Many communes have mobilized businesses, families, and expatriates to contribute to the construction of new rural areas, typical examples being Kim Lien, Nam Giang, and Nam Thuong communes... In Hoa Hoi hamlet, Nam Cat commune, Mr. Pham Van Thai – the owner of a business in Ho Chi Minh City – donated 100 million VND; Mr. Nguyen Tien Lam donated 30 million VND. In Hamlet 8, Nam Linh commune, Mr. Le Thang donated 100 tons of cement and 30 million VND; Mr. Vo Xuan Minh donated 45 million VND; and expatriates donated 125 million VND...

With that combined strength, after 4 years of implementing the program, Nam Dan district now has 4 communes that have met the New Rural Area standards; 7 communes that have met 15-18 criteria; 12 communes that have met 10-14 criteria; and the commune with the lowest achievement is 10 criteria. Mr. Nguyen Huu Nhuan - Head of the Agriculture Department and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for New Rural Area Construction in the district, said: “The district strives to have an additional 6 communes meet the New Rural Area standards by the end of 2015, including: Van Dien, Xuan Hoa, Nam Anh, Nam Xuan, Nam Thuong, and Nam Nghia, raising the total number of communes meeting the standards by the end of 2015 to 10 communes. To achieve the set goal, we will continue to mobilize resources, integrate programs and projects with the people's participation in the localities, and strive to have 19-20 communes meeting the New Rural Area standards by 2020, completing the goal of building a New Rural Area district.”

Thu Huyen