Quy Hop: Sustainable poverty reduction models

(Baonghean) - Coming to Quy Hop at the end of the year, when peach and plum colors are flooding the mountains and forests. In the bustling atmosphere of the approaching Tet holiday, we visited many families doing well in business in remote areas, and learned more about why the people here are all happy, warm-hearted, and have a steadfast belief in the Party and the State that has given them a new life...

From Vinh we went to Quy Hop district, to Nam Son commune following National Highway 48C connecting Quy Hop with Tuong Duong. After passing the steep roads, the guide pointed to the other side of the mountain: Go 2 more kilometers to Binh Chuan (Con Cuong). Nam Son borders Binh Chuan, before there was no National Highway 48C, the roads were difficult, Nam Son village was remote and isolated, "now thanks to the Party and State opening this big and beautiful asphalt road, then bringing capital to the people to do business, Nam Son has changed" - Ms. Luong Thi Danh - President of the Women's Union of Nam Son commune welcomed us and said. The whole group stopped at a new house on the side of the national highway that was under construction, the sound of saws and people talking. The homeowner ran out smiling, the Secretary of the commune Youth Union introduced: "This is Mac Thi Kiem's ​​house in Khiet village - Nam Son, she is a poor household but now from 2.5 million VND from the Policy Bank she has become rich".

Ms. Vi Thi Ngoc's livestock farm in Quang village, Nam Son commune (Quy Hop).

Ms. Mac Thi Kiem was first able to borrow 2.5 million VND from the bank for the poor to buy a cow to raise, at that time in 2003. However, after raising it for a short time, the cow died. The family of four worked hard to earn money to pay off the bank loan. Ms. Kiem recalled: “Everyone who borrowed anything went to work, made bamboo shoots, made bamboo, planted rice for hire, just hoping to have enough 2.5 million VND to pay the bank. 2.5 million VND at that time was equivalent to 25 million VND now. Then after 2 years, the family paid off all the debt, no overdue debt.”

Then the following year, the poor bank had a new loan. She thought a lot, afraid that she would not be able to repay the debt but still determined to borrow. Having received 5 million VND, she had to borrow more to have enough 5.3 million VND to buy the buffalo. After that, the mother buffalo gave birth to 10 buffaloes, both mother and child gave birth one after another. Her family cherished it, built a farm for it on the hill, both husband and wife stayed on the farm to take care of the buffalo and work on the fields. The couple worked hard to make dong leaves, grow bamboo shoots, raise chickens... to repay the bank 5 million VND, and finally paid it off. So from nothing to "rich" in the village with 10 buffaloes, Ms. Mac Thi Kiem "got out" of the village's poor household list. Ms. Kiem's ​​husband was also admitted to the Party in the Khiet village Party cell, when the season came, he often took the buffaloes to work in the fields to help the villagers. Seeing her husband and wife being hard-working and diligent, and encouraged by the bank, she borrowed 20 million VND from the production and business development program to invest in buying piglets to raise. In the barn, there are usually 4 pigs for meat, and a flock of chickens to provide more food for the whole family. Now she has money to build a new house, the house she is building costs about 150 million VND. Around the back, her old, simple house is still there as a reminder of a difficult time.

In Khiet village, there are many families who borrowed capital from the Policy Bank and rose up to escape poverty, such as Ms. Mac Thi Ha, who borrowed 20 million VND, developed livestock farming and built a new house. Ms. Lo Thi Thuong, who was a poor household, borrowed 15 million VND to buy a cow in 2008 and now has 7 cows. Mr. Mac Van Xin, who borrowed 15 million VND, now has 5 buffaloes and 2 pigs, built a house and escaped poverty. We went to Quang village - Nam Son commune. A new tiled wooden house of Ms. Vi Thi Ngoc's family appeared, everyone was amazed and could not believe that Ms. Ngoc used to be a poor household.

It was even more surprising to visit the pig farm with more than 40 pigs, each weighing over 80 kg, and the chicken farm behind the house. It was unbelievable that in this remote commune, ethnic minority women like Ms. Ngoc know how to raise pigs using new techniques, with proper investment and a biogas tank to protect the environment. Ms. Ngoc said: With a loan of 2.5 million VND from the Policy Bank, she bought a cow, then after 3 years she had 4 cows, she sold 1 to pay off the bank loan, and with the remaining money, she borrowed another 5 million VND to buy 3 more cows. So from the initial capital of 2.5 million VND, after 6 years she had 18 cows! She is currently investing in a pig farm. She calculated: Every 3 months, a litter of pigs, a litter of 40 pigs, each pig has 100 kg of meat, she sells it for 49,000 VND/kg of live weight, minus expenses for 3 months, she makes a profit of 27.8 million VND, calculating that she makes a profit of more than 9 million VND per month of raising pigs. Tet is coming, the price of live pigs is increasing, she feels more secure raising pigs, before that, live pigs were sold in the village for 45,000 VND/kg, she still made a profit.

Nam Son is a particularly difficult commune 135 of Quy Hop, the lives of the people are still difficult. Ms. Luong Thi Danh said: The Women's Union of Nam Son - Quy Hop commune has 2 loan groups and was the first to borrow in the commune. At first, when hearing about borrowing from the bank, the women were very hesitant, but with the encouragement of the Party Committee, the Commune People's Committee and the credit officers of the Policy Bank, and seeing examples like Ms. Kiem and Ms. Ngoc doing business well, then gradually, all the women needed capital. Having a buffalo also wanted to have a house, many people wanted to get rich. From the initial capital of 36 million VND, which was effective, now the whole commune has 3 billion VND in outstanding debt from the Policy Bank, the Women's Union of Nam Son alone has 76 households borrowing with an outstanding debt of 1.8 billion VND, an average of 25 million VND/household, some households borrowed 30 million VND. The success rate is more than 80%, people mainly borrow to develop livestock and poultry farming, especially breeding buffaloes and cows.

Arriving at Yen Hop commune - a commune bordering Quy Chau district, we visited the chicken farming model of Nguyen Van Sinh, Cau Da hamlet - Yen Hop. Graduated from the veterinary animal husbandry department of Hanoi Agricultural University 1, after several years of graduation but unable to find a job, Sinh decided to return home to develop production. With a loan of 100 million VND from the Policy Bank in the job creation program, Sinh invested nearly 10 million VND in barns, the rest was invested in raising super-laying chickens with 1,000. Up to now, each day the flock of chickens yields 800 eggs, Sinh has found a stable outlet in Quy Hop, Quy Chau. He supplies a few hundred eggs per day to restaurants and shops. Sinh also hires 2 more workers to take care of the chickens and plant forests. Last year, Sinh earned 80 million VND, just enough to reinvest in production. In addition, Sinh also raises free-range chickens to sell during holidays and Tet. From a formally trained student, Sinh found his own path for the future by investing in raising livestock on a farm. Sinh also actively participated in the activities of the Commune Youth Union. Also from being a good businessman, another good news came to Sinh: In 2012, he was accepted into the commune to work under the program to attract young intellectuals.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ba ​​- Director of Quy Hop Policy Bank shared: The outstanding loan balance of Quy Hop Policy Bank as of December 31, 2013 reached 266,450 million VND, a growth rate of 11.7%. Loan turnover in 2013 reached 93,715 million VND, total outstanding loan balance reached 266,285 million VND. Outstanding loan balance for ethnic minority households with special difficulties reached 1,620 million VND, outstanding loan balance for job creation was 4,207 million VND. In 2013 alone, the Board of Directors of Quy Hop Policy Bank proactively inspected 588 households borrowing capital from 42 lending groups with a loan amount of 9,525 million VND. The inspection showed that the trust organizations of commune-level associations operated well, evaluated loans in a public and democratic manner, and targeted the right subjects, many families escaped poverty sustainably. The participation and sharing of the entire political system with the policy bank has produced great results, multiplied good practices, good models and multiplied people's trust in the policies of the Party and State.

Article and photos:Chau Lan