'Rearranging' life for Dan Lai people

With the desire to help the poor and not leave anyone behind, over the years Con Cuong district has directed and mobilized the entire political system and people to join hands in building a new life for the Dan Lai people.

The land in the resettlement area of ​​Dan Lai people produces two rice crops per year. Besides, due to lack of irrigation water, other crops are often left fallow. Photo: Tuong Vi

After 17 years of settling in her new hometown, Ms. Le Thi Niem in Tan Son village, Mon Son commune, like many other Dan Lai ethnic people, has only now really gotten into the habit of keeping and caring for poultry. Not only that, she has also fenced and carefully lined her vegetable garden. “Before, in my old hometown, we didn’t fence vegetables, and raised chickens and pigs freely. Here, the cadres taught us how to raise and grow livestock, so it’s better. Living near the center, life is less difficult,” said Ms. Le Thi Niem.

In the past, in their old hometown Khe Khang (the core area of ​​Pu Mat National Forest), the Dan Lai people lived mainly on hunting and gathering in the deep forests and mountains. During the day, they went down to the stream to catch fish or into the forest to pick bamboo shoots, and at night, they slept by the fire all night to avoid the cold and attacks from wild animals. Growing their own vegetables, raising livestock and poultry, or taking care of their daily meals were strange stories for this ethnic group. Later, they raised chickens and pigs, but they were left to the elements. Life in the deep mountains, isolated from the community, combined with many backward customs, put this ethnic group at risk of racial decline due to poverty and incestuous marriage.

Life of the Dan Lai people on the upper reaches of the Giang River. Photo: Dao Tuan

In 2002, following the policies of the Party and the State, with the help of the Party Committee, the government and local departments and branches, Ms. Niem's ​​family and 35 Dan Lai people relocated to the resettlement areas of Tan Son and Cua Rao in Mon Son commune to build a new, more prosperous and fulfilling life.

In their new place of residence, the people were provided with housing, land for production, seedlings by the State and their needs such as electricity, roads, schools, and stations were met. Thanks to this, their lives were more stable and they were better cared for. However, even though they had moved to a new place of residence, the Dan Lai people still maintained many backward habits and customs, so 98% of them were still poor households.

The houses built with the support of the State, after many years without the attention of the people for repair, have seriously degraded; the fields and gardens have not received much attention so they are mostly abandoned; the livestock barns built close to the houses cause environmental pollution, affecting people's health; young people or people of working age leave their hometowns to work for hire far away, leaving only the elderly and children at home. Therefore, people still have the mentality of waiting and relying on the support of the State.

Local officials help people renovate their gardens and increase the area for growing vegetables. Photo: Tuong Vi

Faced with that reality, to help the Dan Lai households here change their mindset as well as be proactive in their way of doing business, create a new stable life and gradually escape poverty, Ms. Ngan Thi Dan and members of the Tan Son Farmers' Association and the Mon Son Women's Union have coordinated with departments and branches to visit each family to re-instruct on production methods and encourage people to maintain environmental hygiene. Changing habits in the Dan Lai community is not easy. Therefore, Ms. Dan and many other cadres and party members of Mon Son commune have not been afraid of difficulties, regularly visiting Tan Son and Cua Rao villages, wholeheartedly advising, closely sharing and helping people "rearrange" their lives and work, thanks to which people have listened and followed.

Ms. Ngan Thi Dan - Tan Son Village Farmers' Association, Mon Son Commune, Con Cuong District said: When people first came here, they were not familiar with life in the new hometown, their awareness was limited and there was a language barrier, so it was very difficult to help, propagate and guide. Economic conditions are also difficult to change. In particular, many people are frustrated and want to return to their old hometown to live off the forest. However, now people's lives have become much more stable, and their thinking has also changed.

Mon Son commune officials (right) instruct a Dan Lai household on growing vegetables. Photo: Tuong Vi

To help the Dan Lai community, Con Cuong district has directed 43 party committees and affiliated party cells, along with local agencies and units, to help 36 Dan Lai households in Tan Son village.

With the joint efforts of the entire political system, on average each Dan Lai household received 10 million VND in support to repair houses, build livestock barns, and rebuild their lives. The support money was taken from the salaries of cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees, and workers at agencies and units in the area.

Party committees, authorities, departments, branches and organizations assigned cadres and party members to go directly to villages and hamlets to mobilize, propagate and guide people to rebuild their lives. From improving fields and rice cultivation to arranging barns to ensure environmental hygiene, and guiding them in raising livestock to improve daily meals.

Local officials help Dan Lai households renovate their gardens. Photo: Tuong Vi

Up to now, nearly 20 Party Committees and Party Cells have participated in supporting the repair of houses for Dan Lai people with a total amount of over 330 million VND. With the whole society's solidarity and support, the people of Tan Son and Cua Rao villages have had many fundamental changes. People have learned how to raise livestock and grow crops, develop family economy, many families have agricultural products such as vegetables, fish, food to share with neighbors and the community.

Thanks to the help and sharing of officials, party members and people of Con Cuong district, Dan Lai people have more confidence in a new stable life through their own labor. This spring, 36 Dan Lai households will live in houses that have been repaired, more spacious and warmer.

Tuong Vi