Exemplary "leaders" of the village
The road leading us to Yen Hoa village (Mon Son commune) winds along green mountain slopes, with peaceful stilt houses nestled on either side under the autumn sun. The village, home to 132 Thai ethnic households, appears simple and unassuming, yet it holds countless fascinating stories that give it its vitality. There, you'll find pioneering Party members who have contributed to the village's economic development, and dutiful sons-in-law and daughters-in-law deeply connected to this land, becoming exemplary "leaders" who have quietly shouldered the responsibilities of the village for decades.
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Gia Huy - Thanh Phúc /Technique:Hong Toai• October 7, 2025
Our first stop on our visit to Yen Hoa village was the bamboo rat breeding farm of Party member Loc Van Chung (born in 1983). The stilt house of this Thai ethnic man looked spacious, clean, and tidy; the nearby bamboo rat breeding area was divided into neat square compartments with dry, airy floors.
In the large and small squares, the bamboo rats, with their smooth fur and round black eyes, leisurely gnaw on the bamboo poles, occasionally poking their heads out to look around as if inquiring. Few would have imagined that Chung would transform this rodent, originally a creature of the mountains and forests, into a stable source of income.
Pouring a bowl of shimmering green tea for his guest, Mr. Chung leisurely recounted: In 2019, while browsing the internet, he happened to see people raising bamboo rats for high economic efficiency, so he decided to learn more. He not only read documents but also traveled to farms to learn. Initially, he only dared to raise 20 pairs as a trial, sometimes losing sleep worrying because the bamboo rats were weak and grew slowly.
But he persevered, diligently learning the techniques of caring for them, understanding their growth characteristics, and knowing how to protect them from heat and cold appropriately. To date, his rat herd has grown to 600 animals, of which 150 are breeding, making it the largest rat farming operation in the region.
The main food source for bamboo rats is bamboo, reeds, corn, and sugarcane, which are readily available locally. Bamboo rats raised for meat take about 10 months to reach market weight, while breeding rats can be sold after 4 months. A female bamboo rat can give birth to 2-4 offspring per litter, and can have 3 litters per year. The selling price ranges from 1-1.4 million VND per pair, with breeding rats sometimes fetching up to 1.6 million VND per pair.
Traders from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and surrounding areas often come directly to his house to buy, sometimes taking hundreds of pairs at a time. There are times when he doesn't have enough supply to meet market demand.
Thanks to raising bamboo rats in combination with growing sugarcane, corn, 2 hectares of acacia trees, and raising pigs, his family earns about 250 million VND per year. That money allowed him to buy a 4-seater car to run a transportation service, making travel more convenient and supporting production.
Learning from his model, several households in the village have invested in raising bamboo rats, thereby accumulating wealth. Typical examples include Ms. Luong Thi Mo and Mr. Ha Van Thao, who raise 50 pairs; Mr. Loc Van Truyen in Met village, who started with 10 pairs and expanded to 100 pairs; and Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai in Lien Son village, who raises 37 pairs...
What is admirable about Mr. Chung is not only his determination to develop his business but also his sense of responsibility to the community. Besides production, he also holds many roles in the locality: Party branch committee member, village militia leader, and concurrently secretary of the youth union branch.
His involvement with the Youth Union has lasted for more than two decades, from 2001 to the present. Although he has long passed the age limit for the Youth Union and has repeatedly asked to retire to focus on family matters, the Party branch encouraged him: "Without a successor, you should try to shoulder more responsibilities for the village." So he continued his role as a youth leader, becoming a pillar of support for the younger generation in the village.
The Yen Hoa Youth Union branch has 40 members, but most are studying or working far away, so now only 4 people participate regularly. Therefore, the image of a man in his 40s still persistently holding the position of Secretary of the Youth Union branch becomes even more special. Even his eldest daughter, who just turned 18 this year, is also a member of the Youth Union branch where her father is the secretary. It's a detail that is both interesting and worthy of respect.
Chung shared his thoughts: “In the past, the Youth Union activities were very lively, with 40-50 people participating. Now, many young people leave the village to make a living, and that pressure makes me even more determined to find ways to develop the economy right here in my hometown.”
I want to prove that, with the courage to think big, take action, work hard, and persevere, it's still possible to start a business locally. I'm also always ready to share my experience in raising bamboo rats with people in my village and surrounding areas.”
Sitting under the eaves, amidst the rustling of bamboo, Mr. Chung recounted his story in a simple, down-to-earth voice, sometimes laughing, sometimes pensive. Listening to him, one realizes that raising bamboo rats is not just a job, but also a journey of sleepless nights, of failures followed by getting back up, and of times when traders come to order hundreds of pairs.
That story contains sweat, worries, the joy of a successful plan, and most importantly, the sharing and mutual support among people who share the same passion for the profession.
In our friendly conversation over a cup of green tea, we also heard something unusual that makes Yen Hoa unique: most of the current leaders of the village are dutiful daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. They weren't born in Yen Hoa, but they have been attached to, contributed to, and consider the village their second home.
Village head Vi Van Luu (born in 1978) is originally from Yen Khe village (formerly Luc Da commune). After marrying into the family, he became deeply involved and earned the trust of the villagers, who elected him as village head for 16 years. He recounted: “Most of the young working people in the village have gone to work far away. Sometimes I want to retire, but I can't do that because of the village's affairs and the people's needs. The villagers' trust is what motivates me to continue.”
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Party branch secretary Luong Thi Mo (born in 1979) was formerly a kindergarten teacher in Tan Hop village. She joined the Party while still active in the Youth Union, then moved to Yen Hoa village with her husband, and has held the position of Party branch secretary since 2012.
She recounted: When she was assigned the task, her husband was working far away, and her two children were still young. She was worried, but her husband encouraged her, so she bravely accepted the responsibility. To date, she has been in this position for over 10 years, always striving for the overall development of the village.
Lộc Văn Đàn, the deputy head and leader of the Security Team, is also a man from another village who married into the community. He is one of the people who shoulder many responsibilities in the village, such as maintaining security and order, mediating conflicts, and promoting production. These men and women, who were not born and raised in Yên Hòa village, have become the "leaders" of the community through their dedication, affection, and sense of responsibility.
Yen Hoa is a Thai ethnic minority village located more than 7km from the center of Mon Son commune, covering an area of over 80.38 hectares and divided into several clusters. It has a total of 132 households with 589 inhabitants, many of whom are young people working far away, increasing the workload for the village officials. Of the 17 Party members in the branch, 8 are working elsewhere. This requires those who remain to make greater efforts, from administrative management to caring for the villagers' well-being.
For example, during the recent storms, canal erosion severely affected irrigation, causing many fish ponds to lack water. The Party branch and the village management board immediately petitioned higher authorities and mobilized the people to reinforce and repair the canals to minimize damage. They not only deal with incidents but also proactively prevent and mitigate natural disaster risks, protecting the people's production.
Ms. Luong Thi Mo, Secretary of the Party Branch of Yen Hoa village, shared that the current work is more complex than before. Implementing a two-tiered government model has resulted in more work, with incoming and outgoing documents needing to be updated and recorded in ledgers.
When policies and announcements are broadcast but don't reach many places, and Zalo groups are rarely used by the villagers, and many elderly people are not tech-savvy, village officials have to go to each cluster to directly inform and guide them. Therefore, village officials must not only understand the policies and guidelines but also know how to communicate and persuade the villagers to agree to implement them.
In Yen Hoa village, all matters, big and small, are discussed openly, seeking opinions from officials, Party members, and the people. When the majority agrees, resolutions are issued and implemented. This approach has created high consensus on all policies: from purchasing equipment for the cultural center, expanding production roads, repairing irrigation canals, to resolutions on increasing production and applying science and technology to livestock farming and crop cultivation.
To overcome the mindset of dependence and reliance, and to promote the movement to eradicate poverty and improve the material and spiritual lives of the community, the "leaders" in Yen Hoa village not only focus on community affairs but also set an example in economic development.
Village head Vi Van Luu raises pigs and goats, cultivates 2.5 acres of rice and 5 hectares of acacia trees. Party branch secretary Luong Thi Mo raises guinea pigs, goats, and breeding pigs, plants 5 hectares of acacia trees, opens a livestock trading point, and has purchased a tractor and combine harvester to serve the production needs of the local people. Meanwhile, deputy village head Loc Van Dan grows acacia trees and tea, and has bought a truck to purchase acacia wood…
With that spirit, Yen Hoa village has undergone many changes in production and daily life. The village cultural center is not only a place for community activities, but also a place for sharing experiences, training in livestock farming and crop cultivation techniques, or holding meetings to discuss repairing irrigation canals, building roads, and internal field roads to serve production.
When someone in the village faces hardship, the entire community pitches in to help harvest crops, rebuild houses, clean up the environment, contribute firewood and rice, and provide seedlings and livestock to develop the economy... These simple actions have contributed to fostering a spirit of mutual support and are also factors that create community strength in Yen Hoa village.
Besides focusing on economic development, the Party Committee and the Management Board of Yen Hoa village also pay attention to stabilizing security and order, doing a good job of grassroots mediation, and maintaining unity, peace, and harmony, as reflected in the village's name.
Mr. Ngan Van Truong, Head of the Economic Department of Mon Son Commune and our guide to the village, commented: “The exemplary behavior of the virtuous daughters-in-law and dutiful sons-in-law, who are also the ‘leading figures’ in Yen Hoa village, has spread the spirit of overcoming difficulties, striving for progress, and changing the mindset and practices of the people in this challenging area. Thanks to this, the poverty rate has decreased to 22 out of 132 households. Their dedication, self-sacrifice, and responsibility towards the people and the village are proof of the saying, ‘Like leader, like movement.’”
Late in the afternoon, the blue smoke from the stilt house kitchens gently curled around the mountain slopes, the sound of chickens calling to their flocks, and the cheerful chatter of children in the yard filled the air. On our way out of the village, our car sped past stilt houses with bright red tiled roofs, small trucks carrying acacia wood, and fields bustling with harvest season...
All of this has transformed the small village of the Thai ethnic minority in this still-difficult border commune. Contributing to this change is the effort of ordinary, simple people – dutiful daughters-in-law, filial sons-in-law, and exemplary Party members – who are silently shouldering the responsibilities of the village and its people....
