The elderly are involved in population management.

(Baonghean) - As the "tallest tree" in the family, the elderly always hold an extremely important position in educating their children and grandchildren on morality, lifestyle, and guidance for progress and maturity, while also contributing to promoting and encouraging their descendants to effectively implement population policies.

Despite having only daughters, Ms. Nguyen Thu Huyen (Quan Bau Ward, Vinh City) chose to stop at two children. She and her husband live with her husband's parents. For many years, this three-generation family has lived together harmoniously, warmly, and happily.

Ms. Huyen shared: "My parents-in-law are both retired teachers, so they are quite knowledgeable and very understanding; they always share my difficulties and hardships. They often encourage my husband and me, saying, 'All children are precious, the important thing is to take care of them and raise them to be good people. Whether it's a boy or a girl, when the children succeed, the parents will enjoy blessings and good fortune…'"

The family of Mr. Ngo Duc Cuong, from Xuan Canh hamlet, Nghi Xuan commune, Nghi Loc district, is warm and happy with their two well-behaved and academically successful daughters. The couple is always encouraged by their grandparents to stop at two children so they can raise them well.

In Xuan Canh hamlet, Nghi Xuan commune (Nghi Loc district), Mr. Ngo Duc Ngoc's family is a model cultural family. Living in a predominantly Catholic hamlet, the pressure to have many children is ever-present, but thanks to the guidance and encouragement of his parents, his children and grandchildren have always done well in population control and family planning. Currently, all of his children have happy families, stopping at only two children each, and their grandchildren are good students and well-behaved.

Mr. Ngoc said: "I've always believed that sons and daughters, if given the means, should care for and look after their parents equally. Therefore, I always advise my children that it doesn't matter whether they have a son or a daughter, as long as they are provided with the best possible conditions to raise them well and become useful members of society."

To promote the role of the elderly in coordinating population control efforts, the Provincial Population and Family Planning Center has implemented the "Elderly Helping the Elderly" model in over 10 communes across Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, and Nghia Dan districts.

For example, in Binh Son commune (Anh Son district), the "Elderly Helping the Elderly" Club has become an active bridge helping grandparents access population policies. And these elderly people themselves have become active communicators, encouraging their children and grandchildren to implement population and family planning policies effectively.

To date, the commune has established 3 clubs attracting 160 elderly people from 16 hamlets throughout the commune. Each quarter, the clubs meet once, incorporating the dissemination of information about population laws and policies through poetry, songs, and folk rhymes.

Through club activities, the elderly not only socialize and exchange knowledge about healthcare but also participate in healthy cultural and sports activities. This is also an opportunity for them to share experiences in raising children, including views on family planning. As a result, from 2012 to the present, most of the children and grandchildren of the club members have not violated the regulations on having a third child.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Luong, an active member of the club, said: “Through the club's activities, the awareness campaigns conducted by population officials, and the sharing of experiences from other members, we understand more about the benefits of having fewer children, and gradually change our preference for having many children and grandchildren. I pass on all the knowledge I've gained from the club's activities to my children and grandchildren, and I encourage them to follow suit.”

A health education and counseling session for the elderly in Binh Son commune, Anh Son district.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hien, the population officer of Binh Son commune, said: “Thanks to the active involvement of the local Elderly Association, the elderly have played the role of exemplary family heads and grandparents in propagating and encouraging their children and grandchildren, resulting in a gradual decrease in the birth rate of the commune over the past three years. The rate of third births has decreased significantly, from 23% in 2012 to just over 7% per year now. Notably, many hamlets with Thai ethnic minority residents, such as Hamlet 12, have gone 11 consecutive years without a third birth; and 8 out of 16 hamlets have gone more than 3 consecutive years without a third birth.”

The "Elderly Helping Elderly" model will be expanded in the future, thereby enabling the elderly to access more information channels, raising their awareness of family planning, and making an important contribution to educating their children and grandchildren to effectively implement population policies.

Dinh Nguyet