Dan Lai Village 30 years waiting for a bridge

Khe Thin production team of 35 households is always isolated during floods. Photo: Huu Vi

About 30 years ago, many Dan Lai households gathered to form a community, which now consists of 35 households. Local residents call it Thin village, Luc Da commune, Con Cuong district. The production team is located 3km from the main village on a mountain. Although it is only nearly 10km from the center of Con Cuong district and not far from the asphalt road to the Kem Waterfall tourist site, due to being separated by mountains, forests and streams, Thin village is almost isolated from the outside world, making life extremely difficult.

Two men struggled with the car on the rapid stream to get to Thin village. Photo: Huu Vi

Without a bridge, trade is limited, and economic development is slow. In particular, due to the distance, the children of Thin village face many difficulties in studying. Kha Thi Phan, an 8th grade student, said: "Next week, we will officially start school. Living in the boarding school is a bit easier when there is no bridge to go to school. I'm just afraid that if it rains on the way home on the weekend, I won't be able to return to school."

Ms. Lu Thi Minh, a grocery seller at Khe Thin production team, is worried: "12 years ago, I had to ask someone to carry me across the stream to the hospital to give birth. Will this birth be the same?"

Stopping by the water’s edge and trying to cross the deep stream, we met Mr. Kha Van Sao, deputy production team leader in Khe Thin, who spent a lot of time driving his motorbike across the 40m wide stream. Those who were not confident in driving had to wade and push their motorbike across the stream with the help of others.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Sao said that about a month ago, during the heavy rain before storm No. 3, the temporary bridge across the stream was washed away by the flood. During that time until after storm No. 3 passed, the Khe Thin production team was always isolated. "We had to wait for the water to recede before people could leave the village. Recently, a new road was opened connecting to the main village, but on the other side there was also a large stream and no bridge," Sao added.

In the village, there are only 2 households that have escaped poverty. Most of the people live by gathering wild animals, so the transportation distance makes economic development here even more difficult.

In a short conversation, Mr. Kha Van Sao informed: Every year, the local people have to rebuild temporary bridges many times when they are washed away by floods. During meetings with voters, the local people have made many requests but there still seems to be no feasible solution to build a bridge to Khe Thin production team.

You Wei