The female Party Branch Secretary of Dan Lai "speaks kind words and does good deeds".
Upon arriving at Chau Son village, Chau Khe commune (Con Cuong district), and seeking out Party Branch Secretary La Thi Van, the villagers warmly pointed the way and said: "Ms. Van is working with village officials to help poor households build houses on schedule. She is the pride of our village!"
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Khanh Ly - Quynh An26/04/2025
Following the directions of the locals, we found the area where houses for the poor were being built. From afar, we could hear the lively laughter and chatter of many people helping Mr. La Van Lien and Mrs. La Thi Xuan lay the foundation for their sturdy house.
Hoang Thi My Hanh, Chairwoman of the Women's Association of Chau Khe commune, pointed to a young woman with a round, pretty face, dressed in work clothes and enthusiastically shoveling sand to mix concrete, and introduced her: "Ms. La Thi Van, born in 1996, Secretary of the Party Branch of Chau Son village and also the only female Party branch secretary in Chau Khe commune."
The young "leader" of Chau Son village greeted the guests with a bright smile, happily stating: This time, the village has 3 poor households receiving support to build houses, with each household receiving 60 million VND.
Although the Party Branch and the Village Management Board have assigned residential groups to help households build houses, the leaders are always present, rolling up their sleeves to work alongside the villagers, fostering a spirit of solidarity, mutual support, and compassion within the village.
Speaking to us in their dilapidated old house right next to the new house being built with support, Mr. La Van Lien and Mrs. La Thi Xuan – one of the three disadvantaged households receiving housing assistance – emotionally shared: "Our family is poor and has many children. If it weren't for the financial support from the Party and the State, and the help and labor from the villagers, especially the village leaders like Party Secretary La Thi Van, we would never have dreamed of having a new house."
Wiping away the sweat from her flushed face, and encouraging the villagers to continue their unfinished work, the Party Secretary of Chau Son village, La Thi Van, took us to visit her home after checking on the progress of the housing construction for other poor households.
It is known that, due to difficult circumstances, Ms. La Thi Van finished junior high school and then stayed at home to work and produce; but unlike many other Dan Lai girls who get married, have children and then only stay around doing housework and farming, Ms. La Thi Van has more than 10 years of experience in community activities in her village.
As a daughter of the Dan Lai community, Ms. La Thi Van understands the characteristics, customs, traditions, and aspirations of the people. Therefore, the "leader" of the women's movement in Chau Son village always shows enthusiasm, dynamism, and dedication to community activities; she is simple and sociable with the villagers; and at the same time, she sets an example of "saying and doing" to effectively carry out community mobilization work in implementing emulation movements in the village.
In addition, she also made efforts to develop her family's economy, planting acacia and bamboo combined with livestock farming to increase income. Thanks to her own efforts, in 2019, Ms. La Thi Van was honored to join the Party, being admitted at the same time as her husband, who was then the Deputy Head of Chau Son village.
Trusted by the Party and loved by the people, in early 2021, Ms. La Thi Van was elected Secretary of the Party Branch of Chau Son village. Ms. Van becoming the "leader" of the village – the first Dan Lai woman to become a village leader, and also the youngest Party branch secretary in Chau Khe commune and Con Cuong district at that time – was a significant achievement.
Chau Son village is a disadvantaged area with 221 households and 907 inhabitants. The people there face many difficulties in their lives (the entire village has 154 poor households). The men work far away, while the women stay at home raising livestock or doing odd jobs because arable land is scarce. Only 50% of the villagers own rice fields, and those who do own land only have an average of 200-300m².
Therefore, fulfilling the leading role effectively is no easy task for a young female Party branch secretary like Ms. La Thi Van. However, thanks to her skillful propaganda and mobilization efforts to encourage villagers to change their mindset and practices, develop production, plant forests, raise carp in cages, and expand livestock and poultry herds to increase income, maintain environmental hygiene in the village, and always set a good example in all activities, Party branch secretary La Thi Van of Chau Son village has earned the trust of the people.
The development of young Party members within the Dan Lai community is also a priority for Secretary La Thi Van and the Chau Son village Party branch. On average, the branch admits one new Party member each year. In 2024 alone, the Chau Son village Party branch gained three new members, including two from the youth union and farmers' association, and one from a demobilized soldier.
Currently, the Chau Son village Party branch has 25 members, including the Party branch secretary La Thi Van and two other female Dan Lai Party members: La Thi Nguyet (born in 1986) and La Thi May (born in 1987) - the head of the Chau Son village Farmers' Association.
The proactive and exemplary spirit of the female "leader" of Chau Son village is also demonstrated in her determination to overcome difficulties and stay close to the people and the village. Chau Son village has two residential clusters, divided into four groups, of which Khe Nong group is about 30 kilometers from the village center.
To reach this area, one must cross four streams and traverse a rocky, muddy path that becomes impassable during the rainy season; only a few short sections are paved with concrete. The area is home to 51 households with nearly 500 people, primarily self-sufficient. Young workers have gone away to work, leaving behind mostly the elderly and children. There are no Party members in the group. To maintain communication and facilitate management, Khe Nong has a cluster leader, a deputy cluster leader, and a representative from each local community organization to connect with the central cluster.
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Due to difficult road conditions, the residential area in Khe Nong is often isolated during the rainy season or when the weather is unfavorable; phone signals in the area are also intermittent. Therefore, according to Party Branch Secretary La Thi Van, when unexpected problems arise and phone contact is unsuccessful, she has to personally go to the location.
It is known that since 2023, Chau Son has been one of two villages in Chau Khe commune selected by the Con Cuong District Women's Union and Chau Khe commune to build a "Community Communication Team" model. The team has 8 members including the village Party branch secretary, village head, head of the women's association branch, head of the farmers' association branch, representative of the Fatherland Front working committee, and a self-governing group of influential people in the community...
Under the leadership of Party Branch Secretary La Thi Van, the community communication team of Chau Son village has successfully carried out many propaganda activities. In particular, they have paid special attention to the prevention and control of child marriage and gender-based violence.
In addition, thanks to the village Party branch, management board, and communication team's efforts in promoting awareness and emphasizing the consequences and repercussions of child marriage, the number of violations in Chau Son village has decreased significantly compared to before. In 2024, only two cases of child marriage occurred in the village.
With her husband working far away, raising two young children alone, and juggling household chores, the young "leader" of Chau Son village, La Thi Van, still overcomes difficulties, fulfilling her roles as wife, mother, and daughter-in-law, while also performing her duties to the Party and the people.
Her efforts have been recognized by the people, Party committees, and authorities at all levels. In 2024, she was honored by the Nghe An Provincial Women's Union as an exemplary woman from ethnic minorities and religious groups for the period 2021-2024; she was also a representative of Con Cuong district attending the 4th Congress of Ethnic Minorities of Nghe An Province, and had the honor of sitting on the presidium alongside leaders of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, and other levels and sectors.
Speaking to us about the role of the "leader" in Chau Son village, the Party Secretary of Chau Khe commune, Kha Van Kien, commented: "Comrade La Thi Van is one of the young, dynamic village Party branch secretaries who 'walks the talk' in the area; she is a person with a high sense of responsibility and a role model in all movements; a shining example for women of ethnic minorities to learn from and emulate."
