Change in difficult areas

(Baonghean)In order to enhance the effectiveness of Border Guard work on the two border lines, since 2003, the Nghe An Border Guard Command has decided to establish local working teams in key difficult areas. The activities of these working teams have truly affirmed their role in helping the authorities and people in the border areas to stabilize politics and develop the economy, culture and society. In particular, the Nam Khien working team, Nam Can Border Guard Station is considered a typical unit operating effectively in one of the most difficult areas of the province - Nam Khien village, Nam Can commune, Ky Son district.

This year is the fourth year that Captain Vu Duy Duong has been assigned to Nam Khien as a party member stationed in the village. Half of his military career, he has been attached to the border and the ethnic people. When the Nam Khien team was established, he had more teammates to share and shoulder the responsibilities of soldiers protecting the border. The Nam Khien working team is now like a family. Mr. Lau Nhia Xong - Head of Nam Khien village said: More than 10 years ago, Nam Khien was still one of the most difficult highland villages: poor economy, backward culture, the number of households lacking food and clothing accounted for more than 70%. Because of this, many bad elements took advantage to secretly conduct illegal activities in the area with small roads across the border. However, stories of hunger and poverty in Nam Khien gradually receded into the past because of the work of the border guard working team.



Soldiers help people harvest rice.

For the highland people, mobilizing people to abandon the practice of slash-and-burn farming by mere propaganda is a difficult thing to do. The only way is to prove to them that growing wet rice is more productive than slash-and-burn rice, raising livestock in captivity is more effective than raising them in the forest... through concrete actions. Only then can they gradually change their farming and raising habits. Choosing a flat land, the border guards advised the local government to try growing wet rice. The first successful model of Mr. Lau Va Ca's family made some families in the village realize that growing wet rice helps them to have less hardship. Thus, the wet rice area in Nam Khien has been gradually expanded. Up to now, the whole village has planted more than 10 hectares. Thanks to that, the rate of people clearing forests to make fields has decreased, the villagers have gradually abandoned the nomadic habit, and are confident in stabilizing their lives.

Now, in Nam Khien, next to the new, spacious houses of the Mong people are the green fields of elephant grass, every house has a buffalo and cow barn to take care of on the spot. This is a rare thing in a Mong village. The project of planting elephant grass and raising cattle also has great contributions from the local working team. The brothers in the team all make every effort to do propaganda and mobilization work, as well as guide the people to plant new grass varieties to replace the weeds that the villagers used to use as food for cattle. Currently, Nam Khien is the village with the largest number of cattle in Nam Can commune with hundreds of cattle.

"Hand-holding and guiding", the border guards have worked together with the people, advising local Party committees and authorities to effectively carry out key tasks in economic development. Up to now, the rate of poor households has decreased to 60%. In particular, under the leadership of the Nam Khien Party Cell, the established organizations have launched a movement to compete for good production among the people. And any family wishing to access science and technology, with new production methods, the brothers in the working team wholeheartedly and wholeheartedly help. Many of the 142 households in Nam Khien have carried out VAC economic development, with high efficiency, with an income of over 50 million VND/year like Mr. Lau Xai Ho's family.

In the fields of culture, education, and health, the working group has coordinated with relevant departments and branches, contributing to changing the awareness of the local people. The backward customs of the Mong people have gradually disappeared, the number of children going to school has increased; the infrastructure serving education has become more and more complete. Up to now, Nam Khien has had a spacious school, meeting the literacy needs of the local children.

The work of propagating and thoroughly grasping the resolutions and directives of the Party and the legal policies of the State has been promptly disseminated and fully implemented by the team members. Thanks to that, the activities of drug trafficking, transportation and use have been gradually prevented. Worries about the situation of law violations and public order have subsided...

The effectiveness of the above-mentioned activities is a correct proof of the policy of strengthening and developing the border working force of the Nghe An Border Guard Command. The grassroots working force not only makes initial changes in difficult areas in the province but also is a premise to continue to consolidate grassroots political organizations, promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc.

Hai Thuong