Increase concern for the poor.

(Baonghean.vn) - In order to create all conditions for the poor to rise up and stabilize their lives, contributing to ensuring social security, the levels, sectors, political and social organizations, businesses, philanthropists and all strata of people in Nghe An province have carried out many activities aimed at the poor through various methods, contributing to reducing the poverty rate in the entire province from 23.5% to 20.6%.

It can be said that in 2011, every poor person in the province received support and assistance from all levels of government, organizations, businesses, and the general public. In addition to implementing policies and programs such as ensuring 100% of the poor have health insurance cards, providing housing support for the poor according to Government Decision 167, supporting three poor districts under Government Program 30a, providing loans to students from poor families for their studies, and addressing hunger relief, all levels of government, organizations, and associations in the province allocated significant resources from employment funds, state budget support, loans from the Social Policy Bank, and the "For the Poor" fund, to focus on caring for the poor.

From poverty alleviation and job creation funds, in the past year, basically 100% of poor households had access to preferential loans with low interest rates to develop production and improve living conditions; creating jobs for over 36,000 workers, including more than 10,000 who participated in overseas labor export. For example, the innovative approach of the Anh Son Women's Union is to act as a guarantor and handle the procedures for poor member families to access loans from banks in the area; coordinating with agricultural extension, plant protection, and veterinary departments to organize training and transfer scientific and technical knowledge to develop the economy, alleviate poverty, and achieve legitimate wealth.

Currently, the Association manages entrusted bank capital exceeding 84 billion VND; provides loans to 5,057 members; and helps alleviate poverty for approximately 500 women's association member families in 2011. In addition, the Association has also promoted mutual support and collected cash and rice donations to assist hundreds of members facing difficult circumstances. It has also launched a fundraising campaign for the "Shelter of Love" fund to build and repair five houses for poor, single women with particularly difficult circumstances.

Not only does it create opportunities for the poor to rise up through loan support, the "For the Poor" fund – a movement that has become ingrained in the mindset of every citizen – has also contributed significantly to creating additional resources that impact the poor in a practical and appropriate way. This year, the entire province mobilized over 22 billion VND, the highest ever, reaching 130% of the plan.

For example, Dien Chau district raised nearly 2 billion VND; Do Luong nearly 1.6 billion VND; Quynh Luu 1.7 billion VND; Quy Hop 672 million VND, etc. With the funds raised, support was provided to poor households to build 1,242 new houses and repair 354 houses; support the poor in buying seeds and livestock; support the purchase of medicine; support the education of children from poor households; and support the poor in celebrating Tet (Lunar New Year)...

Mr. Nguyen Quang Hanh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Nghe An province, affirmed: "The poor often lack the conditions to improve their lives. However, when they receive help from organizations and individuals through concrete and practical actions such as housing support to help them settle down, livestock support to create initial capital, or other initiatives to create capital and means of production, they have the conditions to work, increase production, create valuable goods, and more importantly, gain motivation and momentum to improve their lives, limiting the negative issues that arise."

In the final days of 2011, we had the opportunity to travel to many rural areas in the province, witnessing the joy of many poor households fortunate enough to receive assistance from society as a whole. In her new three-room house with a usable area of ​​80 square meters, built with funds from the "For the Poor" fund, the help of relatives, neighbors, and the family's own resources, Ms. Truong Thi Luong, from Ham village, Chau Dinh commune, Quy Hop district, could not hide her joy: "I am truly grateful to the Party and the State for helping my family have a new house. Now, we no longer have to worry about leaks in the sun or rain. Without the support of the State and the community, poor households like mine would never have had a decent house like this to live in."

"Now that we have a house, the family will focus on making a living." Similarly, the family of Ms. Gian Thi Thi, in Bai Da hamlet, Phuc Son commune (Anh Son district), was also a poor household five years ago. Thanks to the Women's Union's assistance, they borrowed 20 million VND to invest in a farm. Now, not only have they repaid their debt and escaped poverty, but they have also become a well-off household in the area, providing their children with a good education and building a spacious house. The family of Ms. Le Thi Khuyen, in hamlet 8, Nghi Hop commune, Nghi Loc district, is another example of a family that escaped poverty thanks to preferential loans to establish a farm raising hundreds of chickens, pigs, and cows, generating an income of over 40 million VND per year...

The efforts of all levels of government, sectors, organizations, the people, and the poor households themselves over the past year are commendable. However, currently, the province still has 20.06% of households classified as poor, equivalent to over 164,000 poor households, not including more than 92,000 near-poor households that could easily become poor without positive intervention. Therefore, the challenge is for all levels of government, sectors, organizations, businesses, and the people to continue working together to help poor and near-poor households throughout the province, striving to reduce the poverty rate to 17.35% by the end of 2012.

Mai Hoa