Policy capital creates livelihoods to escape poverty for ethnic minorities in Nghe An
(Baonghean) - The ethnic minority area of Nghe An province consists of 11 districts and towns, of which 3 districts benefit from Resolution 30a of the Government. Through many policy programs, especially loans from the Social Policy Bank, households that receive loans use capital effectively.
Create "fishing rods" for the poor
Mr. Vu Duc Quy (born in 1950), residing in Moi village, Chau Phong commune, Quy Chau district, participated in international missions in the battlefields of Southern Laos and Upper Laos, and was a 1/4 disabled soldier. After the war ended, in 1986, he returned to his hometown to start a business in the mountainous land of Chau Phong commune.
Returning to his hometown, he struggled with the determination to do business to set an example for his children and grandchildren. In 2011, he was considered for a loan of 20 million VND from the production and business program along with a small amount of capital accumulated during the annual production process. With that money, he bought 2 goats, dug a pond to raise fish, and planted acacia trees in his home forest.
Thanks to the correct application of science and technology in the livestock production process, the goat herd reproduces continuously, the fish pond also provides good income, the acacia forest grows quickly, on average, each year after deducting expenses, he earns 80 million VND in profit, helping to support the whole family and send his children to school. By 2015, when the loan was due, he paid it off in full and borrowed an additional 20 million VND from the Production and Business Program along with the family's savings to buy 4 breeding cows. Up to now, the family's herd has produced 8 cows, bringing in high income.
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| General Director Duong Quyet Thang (right) checks credit information published by the Bank for Social Policies at the headquarters of the People's Committee of Ta Ca commune, Ky Son district. Photo: Thu Huyen |
The family situation of Mr. Ha Xo Viet in Na Sai village, Hanh Dich commune is also very difficult. In 2004, with a capital of 4 million VND from the poor household loan program of the district's Social Policy Bank, he bought a breeding buffalo for raising. When the debt was due, he paid the debt according to regulations. Then he boldly borrowed capital from the Production and Business Program in Difficult Areas in the amount of 30 million VND, and bought 2 more buffaloes. Currently, Mr. Ha Xo Viet has a total herd of over 20 buffaloes; he also has 1 hectare of acacia and cinnamon forest; a 2-hectare vegetable garden; dug 3 fish ponds over 600m2, bringing the average annual income from 70 - 100 million VND.
It is known that in Que Phong, the capital from the Social Policy Bank has helped 5,663 poor households to borrow capital to overcome the poverty threshold; the number of near-poor and escaped poverty households that have borrowed capital and truly escaped poverty sustainably to become well-off and rich households is 2,745 households; the number of workers attracted, created new jobs and escaped poverty is 460 workers; the number of workers who have borrowed capital to work abroad is 105 workers; the number of students who have borrowed capital is 170 students; the number of poor households supported with capital to build houses is 475 households; 1,218 households have borrowed capital to build clean water works.
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| Mr. Vy Van Dung's family in Hoa Son village, Ta Ca commune, Ky Son borrowed capital to invest in an effective farm. Photo: Thu Huyen |
In Quy Hop district, preferential policy loans have contributed to reducing the poverty rate from 20.92% (in 2015) to 15.76% in 2017, helping 2,291 households escape poverty sustainably, creating jobs for 216 workers; creating conditions for 118 workers to work abroad, supporting study costs for 532 students, building 490 houses for poor households, building new and upgrading 2,376 clean water and rural environmental sanitation works...
Sustainable Poverty Reduction Goals
Up to now, with the implementation of 20 credit programs in the whole province, the total capital that the provincial branch of the Social Policy Bank is managing is 8,157 billion VND. The total outstanding loan balance of loan programs in mountainous districts is 4,282 billion VND with a total of nearly 155,000 outstanding customers, accounting for over 50% of the total outstanding debt of the whole province.
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| The Bank for Social Policies works with loan groups in Ta Ca, Ky Son. Photo: Thu Huyen |
The disbursement of capital for annual credit programs by the Provincial Bank for Social Policies has basically completed the assigned plan; lending is done promptly, ensuring the right subjects. Basically, the majority of poor households and subjects use the loan capital for the right purpose, many households escape poverty. The lending program for poor households and policy subjects has had the participation of the whole society towards helping the poor with the direction of Party committees and authorities at all levels.
Through the policy credit capital of the Social Policy Bank, it has helped thousands of poor households have capital to develop large livestock farming (such as buffalo, cows, goats, etc.), build new, repair, and renovate thousands of square meters of livestock barns, invest in purchasing materials, machinery, production tools, develop service businesses, build houses, clean water works, environmental sanitation, etc.
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| Mr. Luong Huu Phuong in Tan Tho hamlet, Nghia Tho commune (Nghia Dan) escaped poverty with a loan from the Social Policy Bank. Photo: Viet Phuong |
Associations attract members, coordinate and cooperate with the government, guide and transfer science and technology to their members to create solidarity among the people, poor households support, help and learn from each other to develop together. Capital sources have basically met the needs of policy beneficiaries, growing according to the annual allocated plan, creating conditions for timely support for poor households and policy beneficiaries, contributing to sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction, ensuring social security. Many effective models from loans from the Bank for Social Policies such as supporting student loans, loans for production, business, housing construction... in Quy Hop, Con Cuong, Que Phong districts.
Loan programs from the Bank for Social Policies have helped poor households and policy beneficiaries in mountainous areas gradually change their awareness of production, business and economic development methods, form savings habits and enhance community responsibility in the production organization process, actively strive to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, and increasingly stabilize their lives. Actual monitoring shows that the implementation of credit programs from the Bank for Social Policies in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has made great contributions to poverty reduction and improving people's lives, contributing to a rapid reduction in the poverty rate, while changing the face of villages, hamlets and mountainous districts in the province.
Sustainable poverty reduction is a policy of the Party and the State, reflecting a profound humanistic viewpoint. Especially for ethnic minority areas, sustainable poverty reduction is an extremely necessary and urgent goal and task to help people have a better life, "no one is left behind", and the mountainous areas catch up with the lowlands.