New Year's joy in the resettlement village

On the last day of the year, Ms. Luc Thi Giang and Mr. Kha Van Dung, a couple from Tan Ngoc village, Ngoc Lam commune, still took the time to till and tend to their tea gardens along the stream. Ms. Giang happily shared that her family cultivates 16 sao (approximately 1600 square meters) of tea, which has been yielding harvests for many years now.

Ms. Luc Thi Giang and her husband from Tan Ngoc village, Ngoc Lam commune, are tending to their tea garden. Photo: Huy Thu.

Although the income from tea is not yet substantial, it provides her family with a stable source of income. In addition to tea, her family also owns 1.5 hectares of acacia trees, which yielded over 100 million VND this year.

In addition to farming, her family is also actively involved in livestock breeding, maintaining 4-5 buffaloes and various other poultry in their barn. It is known that Ms. Giang's family is one of the exemplary working families in the commune.

Recalling the early days when she first came here to start her life, her family faced many difficulties. Thanks to their diligence and hard work, and by effectively implementing the local economic development policies, her family has gradually risen to a comfortable and stable life.

Along with that joy, Mr. Luong Xuan Dieu in Tan Ngoc village was also delighted because he had successfully completed his duties as the head of the self-governing group, and his family, with three Party members, enjoyed a harmonious life, with both their own and their family's wealth accumulating.

The family of Mr. Luong Xuan Dieu in Tan Ngoc village, Ngoc Lam commune, has purchased a tractor. Photo: Huy Thu

His family currently owns 3 hectares of acacia trees and 11 sao (approximately 1000 square meters) of tea plants that are already yielding harvests. Thanks to the support of his son, who is working abroad in Japan, he was able to buy a tractor to help with agricultural production for his family and fellow villagers.

Recently, in addition to boosting pig farming thanks to his rice wine production, he has also actively raised goats and bees… The batches of golden honey, with their sweet taste of the mountains and forests, are a testament to his diligence and skill. His family plans to rebuild their house into a more spacious one when his son returns home.

Sharing his joy on the eve of the new year, Mr. Dieu happily said: "Last year was very exciting because the whole family was healthy, business was going well, family life was relatively stable, and my wife and I didn't have to worry as much about material things as before."

The road to the resettlement village was adorned with Party flags and national flags. Photo: Huy Thu

A new year is arriving in the resettlement area, filled with vibrant colors, warmth, and hope. There are the bustling sounds of the new market, the rhythmic gongs and drums, the lively folk songs, the plows tilling the fields, the trucks carrying goods... There is the green of the vast acacia and tea plantations in their budding season, the red of newly built houses, and the fluttering Party and National flags along the paved roads...

I recall that 16 years ago, during the land clearance process for the construction of the Ban Ve hydroelectric power plant on the Nam Non River, the Thai, Khmu, and O Du ethnic groups from five communes in Tuong Duong district—Luan Mai, Huu Duong, Huu Khuong, Kim Tien, and Kim Da—had to undertake a large-scale relocation.

With unwavering determination and faith in the Party and the State, and with all their hearts for the future electricity supply of the nation, people of various ethnic groups have sacrificed their personal interests, dismantled their homes, and abandoned their fields to relocate to unfamiliar new lands, facing countless difficulties and hardships.

Tea gardens in the resettlement area are in the process of sprouting new leaves. Photo: Huy Thu.

Thirteen years after the establishment of the new communes of Ngoc Lam and Thanh Son (2009), with the attention of all levels of government, departments and agencies in the province, the support and care of officials and people of Thanh Chuong district, and the assistance of the Ban Ve Hydropower Project Management Board, officials and people in the resettlement area have continuously strived to build a new life.

The two communes of Ngoc Lam and Thanh Son have strived to utilize all resources and potential, including the spirit of solidarity and overcoming difficulties of the ethnic people, to carry out construction work, simultaneously integrating and innovating, creating comprehensive development and achieving many remarkable achievements in all fields.

The temporary market is a place where people from the resettlement communes exchange goods. Photo: Huy Thu

Average per capita income is steadily increasing. In 2022, Ngoc Lam commune reached over 27 million VND/person, and Thanh Son commune reached 28 million VND/person. Thanks to the application of science and technology and diligent investment, these communes have developed many effective economic models, generating hundreds of millions of VND in income per year.

Planting industrial crops, reforestation, and livestock farming are potentials being exploited in resettlement areas. Mentioning tea and orange cultivation models, one must mention exemplary households such as Mr. Luong Thanh Tuyen, Mr. Luu Duong Tinh, Mr. Bui Cong Ky, Mr. Vi Khanh Hoa… (Thanh Son commune), or the combined farming and livestock raising model like that of Mr. Luong Van Hoai, Mr. Kha Van Tuan, Mr. Vi Dai Duong... (Ngoc Lam commune).

Service and occupational activities have expanded (trading, motorcycle repair, beauty services, etc.). Many families have sent their children to work abroad. The poverty rate is decreasing, and many households have been able to purchase cars and trucks. The political system is constantly being strengthened and developed, social security is ensured, and the material and spiritual lives of the people are continuously improving.

The resettlement area has achieved universal primary and lower secondary education, with the emergence of exemplary families dedicated to education; and the arts and sports movement has been promoted...

The joy of the villagers in the resettlement area on the first day of the new year. Photo: Huy Thu.

One commendable aspect is that, regardless of the circumstances, the people in the resettlement areas have preserved their traditional cultural values, while simultaneously adapting, learning, selecting, and adding positive elements to enrich the cultural life of their ethnic group.

Despite numerous difficulties and needs for assistance (land issues, construction of martyrs' memorials, reinforcement of local markets, upgrading of some roads, etc.), the achievements of officials and people in the resettlement communes are commendable.

Some families in the resettlement village are preserving traditional gong sets. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Vi Van Tuyen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ngoc Lam commune, shared: “After 13 years since the commune's establishment, the appearance of Ngoc Lam commune in particular, and the resettlement area in general, has seen many positive changes. The socio-economic situation in the area is relatively stable and continues to develop in the right direction. Security, politics, social welfare, poverty reduction, and policies have all achieved good results.”

"Hopefully, in the new year, the people in the resettlement areas will continue to uphold the spirit of solidarity, overcome all difficulties, and strive to build a more prosperous life."

Huy Thu