Solidarity Hamlet

(Baonghean)From a disadvantaged hamlet, through innovative approaches, Doan Ket hamlet has risen to become a leading hamlet and one of the comprehensively strong hamlets of Quynh Hung commune, and was commended at the conference summarizing 3 years of implementing Directive 03-CT/BCT on promoting "Learning and following the moral example of Ho Chi Minh" of Quynh Luu district.

Mr. Pham Hong Thang inspects the newly completed internal village road.

According to Nguyen Xuan Nien, Secretary of the Commune Party Committee: For a long time, Doan Ket hamlet has been in a weak state, with a constant shortage of cadres, an ineffective political system, and consistently ranking among the lowest in the commune every year.

The situation in the hamlet improved when the Party branch was reorganized and Mr. Pham Hong Thang, a former senior officer of the Political Department of Military Region 4, directly served as the Party branch secretary. First, Mr. Thang reorganized the Party branch's activities and strengthened unity within the hamlet's leadership committee, using the Veterans Association as the core. The Party branch then reorganized the subcommittees for front-line work and other mass organizations. Simultaneously, the Party branch held expanded meetings to set specific goals and programs for the mass organizations to operate, focusing on Party development and membership growth in political associations. As a result, in the past three years, the Party branch has admitted eight new members, including three young members, bringing the total number of Party members to 15. The mass organizations operate more systematically and effectively, and the rate of membership recruitment continues to increase.

Based on the stability of the situation, the Party branch began to develop specialized resolutions to promote the development of the village's movement. In 2011, the Party branch held a meeting and passed a resolution to build a community center, with each household contributing 150,000 VND per sao (a unit of land measurement). Initially, many households were hesitant about this contribution, but Party members in the branch, in addition to their regular contributions, set an example by donating an extra 1 million VND each, which reassured the people and led them to contribute fully. With support from the district and commune, the village's community center was built, providing a spacious and comfortable place for the villagers, both Catholic and non-Catholic, to gather for community activities.

Building on that success, the Party branch implemented rural road construction in conjunction with the National Target Program for Building New Rural Areas. Mr. Pham Hong Thang said: Initially, the implementation was very difficult because many households opposed it, refusing to give up even an inch of land without compensation. Understanding the sentiments of the households, Mr. Thang discussed with the Party branch to continue mobilizing exemplary Party members to take the lead. Party branch secretary Thang himself volunteered to dismantle and rebuild the fence according to the plan. Following the secretary's example, many Party member families voluntarily dismantled their gates worth tens of millions of dong; Party member Dam Van Dan's family, although living on the second lane, had 70 square meters of land voluntarily donated by a resident of the first lane.²Because it was for the neighborhood, the family voluntarily gave up 35 square meters to their neighbor.²Thanks to the exemplary conduct of the party members and the skillful efforts to gain the support of the Parish Council, as well as the parish priest's advocacy, the road construction project received complete trust and enthusiastic support from the parishioners. In a short time, all 13 families, including 2 Catholic households, donated land, dismantled 13 structures and 250 meters of boundary wall, and donated 450 meters of land.² Residential land was used to expand roads according to the New Rural Development standards. In just two months, the hamlet completed six internal village roads (700 m long, 3.5 m wide).

Implementing land consolidation and exchange according to Directive No. 08 of the Provincial Party Committee, Party members in Doan Ket hamlet's Party branch encouraged residents to receive land first and voluntarily accepted the less desirable plots for themselves. Thanks to this approach, the people gained trust and immediately registered to participate. Within just one month, the entire hamlet completed the demarcation and allocation of land to 106 households across an area of ​​33 acres. Each family reduced their previous 3-5 plots to 1-2 plots, each plot ranging from 1,000 m2 to 3,000 m2.².

The rise of Doan Ket hamlet in Quynh Hung commune has proven that anywhere, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, if Party members are exemplary, the Party branch is strong, and the people trust them, no force can divide them. If the people's strength is skillfully mobilized and encouraged, anything can be accomplished, and any difficulty can be overcome.

Nguyen Hai