Poverty standards are approached in a multidimensional manner.

(Baonghean) - Our Party and State always identify poverty reduction, ensuring progress and social justice as sustainable development goals. With that meaning, in the past 5 years, poverty reduction has received positive responses from all levels and sectors, creating consensus and mobilizing the strength of the entire socio-political system in the province, bringing many practical results.

Five years ago, the family of young party member Vi Van Viet Viet was one of the poorest in Cham village. Worried about poverty, and worried that both husband and wife were party members, how could they give up and lose? On the other hand, in the party cell meetings to discuss breakthrough plans to escape poverty, the couple became more determined to revive the family economy.

The couple borrowed money from the policy bank to buy a pair of breeding cows, invested in digging a pond to raise fish, etc. The family's economy gradually became more stable. In 2014, young party member Vi Van Viet and his wife voluntarily wrote a request to leave the poverty line. Currently, Cham village has only 34 poor households out of a total of 79 households, with an average of 2-3 households escaping poverty each year.

The cow breeding model brings high economic efficiency to farmers in Tri Le commune, Que Phong district. Photo by Thanh Duy

Comrade Luong Thi Thi, Secretary of the Cham Village Party Cell, explained: “The key to the improvement is the active and unanimous participation of the Party Committee and organizations in mobilizing people to build economic models. The Party Cell has issued a resolution on leading poverty reduction work to focus on directing the implementation of the State's support policies; at the same time, actively mobilizing poor households to change their awareness, be proactive and determined in developing livestock farming, afforestation ...”

In the past 5 years, the 30a Que Phong district has made a big turning point in poverty reduction. With the key solution of building and replicating economic models, the whole district has established 20 agricultural, forestry and fishery cooperatives; 162 farm economic models have invested in building high-income economic models such as passion fruit, raising ducks... Therefore, the poverty rate of the district has decreased from 59% in 2010 to 34.36% today.

Comrade Lu Dinh Thi - Secretary of Que Phong District Party Committee said: "In the period of 2010 - 2015, the District Party Committee and People's Committee issued many documents, proposed many appropriate policies and measures to lead and direct with focus and key points; assign responsibility to all levels and sectors and cadres and party members to be exemplary and leading in developing economic models. From there, it made a strong change in the awareness of cadres, party members and the masses".

Farmers in Ky Son take care of bo bo trees planted under the forest canopy. Photo by Nguyen Hai

In Anh Son, in the period of 2010-2015, the poverty reduction work was resolutely directed by the District Party Committee with the idea that economic development is a breakthrough, hunger eradication and poverty reduction is a central and continuous task. The district has issued mechanisms and integrated programs to build highly effective comprehensive economic models such as intensive farming, increasing crops, applying science and technology to corn production from 2 crops to 3 crops/year, with a yield of over 8 tons/ha in Tuong Son commune; growing aromatic roots in Cao Son brings in an income of over 100 million VND/ha/year...

Comrade Dang Xuan Quang, Vice Chairman of Anh Son District People's Committee said: "The average income in early 2015 is estimated to reach nearly 23 million VND, nearly double compared to the beginning of the term. The poverty rate has decreased from 24.7% to an estimated 8.96% in 2015."

Through poverty reduction policies supported by the Central Government, the province's dynamic mechanism, and the focus on promoting socialization, the whole province has mobilized more than 14,194 billion VND for hunger eradication and poverty reduction. Therefore, in early 2011, the overall poverty rate of the whole province was 22.89%, but by the end of 2014.

The poverty rate of the province has decreased to 10.28%, and is expected to decrease to about 7.5% by the end of 2015. On average, in the past 5 years (2011 - 2015), the poverty rate has decreased by over 3% per year; the poverty reduction rate has reached the target set by the Resolution of the 17th Provincial Party Congress (from 2.5 - 3% per year). Particularly, the poor districts according to Resolution 30a (Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong) have decreased by 6-7% per year.

The clean vegetable growing model in Phong village, Thach Giam commune, Tuong Duong helps people escape poverty quickly and sustainably. Photo by Thanh Duy

However, the poverty rate of the province is still higher than the national average, the number of near-poor households is still over 11.4%, concentrated in mountainous areas, ethnic minorities, coastal areas. This is really a big challenge in implementing the poverty reduction target according to the Resolution of the 18th Provincial Party Congress, term 2015-2020, which is to reduce the average by 2-3%/year, mountainous areas from 3-4% (according to the poverty standard for the period 2016-2020).

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has issued a Decision approving the overall project "Converting the poverty measurement approach from unidimensional to multidimensional applied for the period 2016-2020". That is, in this period, determining poor households is not only based on income but also on criteria for access to 5 basic social services including: health, education, housing, clean water and sanitation, and access to information.

Developing black pig breeding has helped many households in Tuong Duong district escape poverty. Photo by Sy Minh

Comrade Nguyen Bang Toan - Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said: "We must continue to promote communication work to raise awareness for all levels, sectors and people; must arouse the will to be proactive, self-reliant, and fight against the mentality of waiting and relying on others. At the same time, we must organize well the work of investigating and reviewing poor households every year and classifying poor households according to each cause to have appropriate support solutions.

In addition, continue to effectively implement vocational training programs; promote agriculture, forestry and fishery; improve the capacity of poverty reduction teams and key officials in poor communes; focus on mobilizing and prioritizing investment resources for poverty reduction goals such as Program 30a, Program 135 and socio-economic development programs associated with hunger eradication and poverty reduction. Only then will hunger eradication and poverty reduction be effective and sustainable.

Nhat Le