The joy of the parishioners in the red soil region.

A view of Con Ca parish, Nghia Loc commune (Nghia Dan district). Photo: Minh Thai

Previously, Mr. Ho Sy Thien, a Catholic resident of Hamlet 4, Nghia Trung Commune, lived in difficult and impoverished circumstances. His family of five lived in a dilapidated, leaky house. Mr. Thien tried his hand at various jobs but still couldn't make ends meet, let alone afford to buy new things or build a new house. In 2013, through the Farmers' Association, Mr. Thien received a 20 million VND loan to develop his business.

With this capital, his family built barns and bought breeding goats to develop their livestock farming. Thanks to hard work and the application of their farming knowledge, goat farming gradually became effective, improving their lives and allowing them to accumulate savings. With the accumulated capital, Mr. Thien invested in buying more goats, expanding his farming operation, and increasing his average income to approximately 60-70 million VND per year.

With the money accumulated from raising goats, along with the help of relatives and friends, Mr. Ho Sy Thien built a spacious and comfortable house worth 370 million VND, ensuring a place to live for his family members. To date, his family has escaped poverty and become a well-off household in Nghia Trung commune.

Thanks to her hard work and diligence, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tri, a parishioner of Con Ca parish, earns a living from developing cattle farming. Photo: Minh Thai

Mr. Thien said: “My family used to be classified as a poor household. After receiving a loan to develop goat farming, in the first year we earned 60 million VND to build the foundation of our house. In the second year, we received another 60 million VND to buy materials, then continued raising goats to accumulate money and borrowed more, finally completing a spacious new house. Everyone in the family is very happy.”

Similar to Mr. Ho Sy Thien's family, in Con Ca parish, Nghia Loc commune, there is also the family of Ms. Nguyen Thi Tri, whose circumstances are very difficult. Both husband and wife are blind, their children are young, and they lack land for production, so for many years they have lived in extreme poverty. In 2014, through the Fund for the Poor, the Fatherland Front of Nghia Loc commune provided the family with a breeding calf.

Thanks to hard work, diligence, and saving, Ms. Tri's family has now built a new house. She shared: "In previous years, my family was very poor. My husband and I are both blind. The government provided us with a calf, which has now given birth to three calves. We've sold two of them (each for 6 million VND) and borrowed more money to build a house to protect us from the sun and rain."

In 2018, thanks to patriotic emulation movements and campaigns launched by the Fatherland Front at all levels, organizations, and associations, and the 10 emulation contents of "7 good things in life, 3 beautiful things in morality," Catholic parishioners in Nghia Dan district strictly adhered to the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws, and focused on economic development and improving family life. As a result, their lives have improved significantly, and many households have escaped poverty and risen to achieve legitimate wealth.

Mr. Vo Quang Hoa, Chairman of the Fatherland Front of Nghia Dan district, said: “To implement solutions to eradicate poverty for the people of Nghia Dan in general and the Catholic community in particular, the Fatherland Front of the district has used the Fund for the Poor to support poor households in production and eliminate dilapidated houses, helping them to improve their living conditions. At the same time, we have promoted family planning and created jobs for the Catholic community. To date, the poverty rate has decreased from 7.5% to 5%.”