Young female intellectual in the land of "4 no's"

(Baonghean)In 2010, Luong Thi Van Anh (Huu Khuong-Tuong Duong) graduated from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development and worked in Hanoi. The job was quite good, but she still wanted to return to serve her homeland, because she understood the hardships and difficulties of the people here.

When the project of 600 young intellectuals to become commune vice chairmen in 62 poor districts was implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Van Anh applied and surpassed 170 candidates in Nghe An province to be selected. After completing a 3-month training course at Quang Binh University with excellent results among 26 new commune vice chairmen with the project "Building a cage fish farming model on Ban Ve Hydropower Reservoir", Van Anh was assigned to work in Huu Khuong commune.

In June 2012, when she started her job, she was extremely surprised because Huu Khuong was no longer as crowded with villages close together as before, but now like an "oasis" in the heart of a hydroelectric reservoir, with only 7 villages of 3 ethnic groups living there: Thai, Kho Mu, Mong. The entire area of ​​the commune is high hills and mountains, to reach the villages you have to walk, and the commune has no electricity grid, no phone signal, no roads, no market.

Luong Thi Van Anh

Assigned to be in charge of rural agricultural development, the 27-year-old female commune vice chairwoman had to face numerous difficulties due to the lack of infrastructure, low education level, and self-sufficient production. It was extremely difficult to persuade, mobilize, and support people to change their production methods and apply science and technology, while there were no means of information and communication to exchange with friends and colleagues. Van Anh said that during the implementation of the project of raising black pigs in captivity, all persuasive words were used, but no one was willing to follow because they did not believe what the officials said and did not want to change. In the end, she herself built a pen and raised two pigs as a model. In just a short time, the people were convinced and voluntarily participated in the project because the two pigs grew very quickly. Currently, in addition to the black pig farming project, she has coordinated with Tuong Duong District Youth Union to direct the implementation of a fish farming project in the hydroelectric reservoir, a duck farming project, and a rice growing project.

Van Anh confided: “At first, when I joined the young intellectual project, I was very worried and hesitant, but now I am used to it. In addition, I get to work in my hometown, which is exactly what I wanted, so I am happy. Five years will be a long and difficult journey because I am not married and am living alone in this “oasis”, but I volunteered because the people here have had a hard time. After the project ends, if the people accept me, I will continue to stay here.”

Saying goodbye to Huu Khuong village, the small figure of the female vice chairwoman of the commune gradually disappeared in the immense green of the mountains and forests, leaving behind our affection and admiration for a Thai girl who did not hesitate to volunteer for the lives of the villagers.

Dang Quang (Provincial Youth Union)