Actions speak louder than words.

(Baonghean)Thanks to a long period of volunteering to work closely with the people, guiding them step by step, Major Tran Van Khoa, of the Mass Mobilization Team, Ngoc Lam Border Guard Post, and his comrades have contributed to improving and transforming the lives of the resettled people in Muong village, Ngoc Lam commune (Thanh Chuong district).

Following the paved road into the Muong village resettlement area in Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district, we met Major Tran Van Khoa and the villagers pruning tea plants to prepare seedlings for a new planting season. While directly participating in the work and instructing the villagers on pruning techniques using machinery, Major Khoa spoke and worked swiftly. For many years, he has been closely involved with the villagers in all aspects of life, from planting trees and raising livestock to cultural activities. Therefore, the people of Muong village always regard Major Khoa as one of their own.

Major Tran Van Khoa guides the villagers of Muong hamlet in planting tea seedlings.

After handing over his duties to village head Luong Van Phuong, Khoa led us to visit several household economic models right in the village that he and his comrades had painstakingly built. During the conversation, he confided: “As a soldier, I live closely with the people here, so I understand their way of thinking. The people only trust and follow when the officials can deliver on their promises. To achieve that, besides professional expertise, we must also learn and be able to do things close to the people's lives, from plowing fields and raising livestock to planting crops... so that everyone, from the elderly to the young, knows how to do them.”

As a native of Thanh Chuong district, having spent more than half his military career serving the border and ethnic minority communities, he took up his post at Ngoc Lam Border Guard Post at a time when ethnic minorities from the border district of Tuong Duong were relocating to Thanh Chuong district to make way for the construction of the Ban Ve Hydropower Plant. Coming from a rural background and possessing a deep understanding of agriculture, he volunteered to help the people of Muong village, Ngoc Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district. With his acquired knowledge and dedication, and his deep understanding of the villagers' aspirations, he and his comrades quickly strengthened the village's organizations and associations, establishing orderly operations. Khoa directly encouraged villagers to participate in reclaiming land for rice cultivation, guiding them in the use of buffaloes for plowing and later, rice threshing machines. This contributed to reducing labor compared to the villagers' previous methods and increasing crop yields. Along with rice cultivation, he also guided the villagers in planting other valuable crops such as green tea, melaleuca trees, cassava, digging ponds for fish farming, and developing livestock farming in a farm model. For disadvantaged families, he arranged loans for livestock farming, provided labor assistance, and offered farming techniques. For many years, all the villagers' production activities benefited from the guidance and practical experience of border guard officer Tran Van Khoa.

For a long time, living and working alongside the people, Major Tran Van Khoa earned their trust and affection. Once they were satisfied, the villagers wholeheartedly followed the advice of the border guard officer stationed in the village. From a village that was weak in all aspects and had complex security and order issues, Muong village is now becoming a model cultural village on the border. The village Party branch and mass organizations such as youth and women's groups are all operating effectively. Every family is competing in economic production, adopting a new way of life, and building a more prosperous village. With stable lives in their new homes, the villagers have abandoned their intention of returning to their old hometowns. Major Tran Van Khoa shared his experience: “First, to gain the trust of the people, officers must truly immerse themselves in the work, especially in meetings where they must propose policies focusing on economic development. When we first arrived, the people didn't know anything about land reclamation, plowing, production… or even using fertilizers. That's why we went directly to each household, helping with specific tasks. Through this, the people saw that the soldiers could say what they could do and did what they said, and they trusted and followed the soldiers…”

Speaking directly alongside Major Tran Van Khoa, who is caring for and guiding the villagers, Muong Luong Van Phuong, the village head, expressed: “Officer Khoa is very well-liked by the villagers. The lives of the villagers are as they are today thanks to listening to his good advice and following his skillful hands. We and the households are now reassured and committed to this new land…” Mr. Lo Hoai Dung, Chairman of the Ngoc Lam Commune People's Committee, highly appreciated the assistance of the Ngoc Lam Border Guard Post. He said: “In the early days, when we first moved here, the officers were very dedicated, sending officers to directly guide the villagers on economic development, strengthening grassroots political organizations, and building solidarity between the military and the people. In particular, Major Tran Van Khoa came directly to guide and instruct the villagers. Now, the lives of the resettled people are gradually stabilizing, and the people are reassured and committed to this new land.”

Hai Thuong