New color: Pink and Blue

(Baonghean) - Hong Lam hamlet (Nam Hung, Nam Dan) is a predominantly Catholic hamlet, formerly a hilly area with a sparse population. Later, due to population growth, those born later chose Hong Lam to settle and establish their lives, creating a new residential area. And because it was a relatively new settlement, Hong Lam hamlet lacked the conditions for investment and development in terms of land, fields, and infrastructure.

The dream of having a road was formed after Nam Hung commune launched the new rural development program. However, compared to other hamlets, the construction of rural roads in Hong Lam hamlet faced many difficulties. Even when other hamlets were already considering upgrading to concrete roads, Hong Lam was only just beginning to clear the bushes and widen the road. Recalling this time two years ago, Mr. Bui Xuan Nhien, the hamlet's Party Secretary and head, understood the situation better than anyone. Having served as head of the hamlet for over 20 years, he knew very well how important roads were to the lives of the people and the economic development of the hamlet. But persuading people to donate land for road construction was not easy. Therefore, when the new rural development program was implemented, the first thing he and the hamlet's leadership team did was to promote and encourage people to donate land.

How can we make people understand that this is a correct policy and that road construction and expansion primarily benefits them? Alongside persuading individual households, the hamlet also organized numerous meetings and democratic discussions at community centers, and disseminated information through various media channels. Once the policy was approved and the people agreed, they voluntarily filled in ponds and gardens and cut down trees wherever the road was being built. In a short time, over 4 km of road running through the hamlet's residential areas was widened from 2.5 meters to 9 meters (including the ditches), with dozens of households voluntarily donating land ranging from 100 to 150 square meters.

Nam Hung 2 Primary School (Nam Dan). Photo: SM

With improved transportation infrastructure, people's lives are gradually improving, and more and more households are becoming bolder in investing and developing their economy. The family of Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh is a prime example. Not long ago, his family was considered one of the poorest and most struggling families in the village. However, since mid-2012, instead of just farming as before, he boldly borrowed capital to start a wood recycling business. Thanks to this, his family's life has improved, and he has provided a market for his neighbors' products.

For Mr. Bui Van Duong's family, the recent Lunar New Year (Year of the Goat) was truly a warm one, as they had just finished building a spacious house and paid off their bank loans for the excavator and truck. Speaking with us, he happily recounted how his two sons, Bui Van Thiet and Bui Van Khanh, though young, had foreseen the opportunity a few years earlier and asked their parents to let them learn excavator operation and truck driving. By the time his family secured the bank loan and purchased the machinery, the entire village was actively building rural roads and developing farms. Furthermore, in Hong Lam hamlet, most young people proactively seek work elsewhere, with over half going abroad for labor, resulting in a significant amount of money sent home annually. Currently, the poverty rate in the hamlet is only 8%, mainly concentrated among elderly, single, and dependent households.

Regarding Hong Lam, the villagers are proud that, despite being a community built with contributions from the local population, the village has been free of social vices for many years, the people are harmonious, and they strictly adhere to the State's policies. Even more gratifying is that, after much effort, by the end of 2014, Hong Lam was recognized as a cultural village, with a notable achievement being the fact that for many consecutive years, no one had a third child.

Visiting Hong Lam village, one can clearly feel the vitality of a modernized rural village, of a peaceful parish where people live good lives and uphold moral values.

My Ha