Women set up 'rice savings boxes' to help each other escape poverty

(Baonghean.vn) -Many creative forms of savings have been launched by the Women's Union of Nghia Khanh and Nghia Dan recently to help members escape poverty, including building rice savings bins.

Accordingly, in addition to other effective forms of savings such as building a "pink brick" model to help women build houses, collecting waste to create a fund for women to borrow capital, etc., building rice saving bins at rice mills is a method that has been widely responded to by the people and is highly effective.

Tru Hamlet, Nghia Khanh Commune has 3 rice mills, during the harvest season, these mills operate at full capacity. To mobilize the hearts of members as well as people in the hamlet, Nghia Khanh Commune Women's Union places a box of economical rice in each mill.

Every person who comes to mill rice does not forget to put a few handfuls of rice into the “saving rice box” to help the women in need. Without the mill owner reminding them, they do this voluntarily and consider it a regular activity.

Thanks to that, every year the Tru hamlet women's association has saved from 1 to 1.2 quintals of rice to help women in need. Ms. Dinh Thi Tu, a member of the Tru hamlet women's association, shared: "During the harvest season, I go to mill rice twice a month. All the milling machines have rice saving bins, so after milling, I put the rice in the saving bin, which is very convenient. I also remind my husband and children that if they go to mill rice, they should share some rice to help women in need."

Every time she goes to mill rice, Ms. Dinh Thi Tu, Tru hamlet, Nghia Khanh commune, does not forget to put rice in the association's savings bin to help women in need. Photo: Minh Thai

Not only Ms. Tu but also other women consider sharing a few handfuls of rice or more with poor women a regular activity. When seeing the rice bin getting fuller, the women are very excited and encourage each other to spread their kindness.

Ms. Phan Thi Loan - Head of the Women's Association of Tru Hamlet, Nghia Khanh Commune added: Tru Hamlet produces agriculture in which rice is the main crop. During harvest season, people need to mill rice 3 to 4 times more than usual, so we put 3 boxes of saving rice at 3 milling machines in the hamlet to encourage women to save for poor members.

For Tru hamlet, this method is more effective than saving at home. Each month, the average rice saving bin yields 10 kg, and on harvest days, 20 kg. Thanks to the propaganda and understanding of the meaning of the rice saving bin, the women are very proactive, not only that, but also have the participation of the entire population.

Every 2 or 3 months, the association collects rice to help women in difficult circumstances. From the rice savings, poor members have been helped during lean days, times of hardship and difficulty. Thanks to the encouragement of the sisters, many members have overcome difficulties and improved their lives.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh - Tru Hamlet, Nghia Khanh Commune has a very difficult situation, her husband is sick, the land is small so the family is always in difficulty and poverty. Thanks to the material and spiritual help of the Tru Hamlet Women's Association, her difficulties have been reduced.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hanh shared: Our family received a lot of help from the women and people in the neighborhood. During the lean season, if we didn't have rice from the women, our family wouldn't know where to turn. In addition, at the beginning of the school year, the women came to give their children books, socks, and clothes.

Many people in difficult circumstances in the association are helped by these rice saving boxes. Photo: Minh Thai

With the characteristics of a purely agricultural commune, people have rice available, so the construction of rice saving jars in the rice mills has been quickly replicated in the branches. Up to this point, Nghia Khanh Women's Union has built 17 rice saving bins in 17 rice mills in 3 branches. On average, each year the commune's women's union saves more than 1,500 kg of rice to help poor women.

Ms. Duong Thi Luong - President of the Women's Union of Nghia Khanh commune added: "In recent years, the pink brick model as well as waste collection has helped many women members of Nghia Khanh commune have the conditions to improve their lives.

Regarding the construction of rice saving bins, based on the actual situation of each branch, we have implemented different methods. Out of 17 branches, 3 branches have built rice saving bins in mills, 14 branches have built rice saving bins in households. In addition, the association has also launched many forms of collecting waste to create a fund for women to borrow. We will continue to replicate the saving models and help members in difficult circumstances."

Currently, the Women's Association of Nghia Khanh commune has more than 1043 members, of which only 54 are poor. It can be said that movements such as building rice saving bins have helped many poor members to reduce hardship and be more stable in life. And more importantly, the sharing of women as well as the people of Nghia Khanh has helped them have more faith in life, and the village and neighborhood relationship is increasingly close.

Minh Thai