Tam Dinh (Tuong Duong): A shining example of poverty reduction.

(Baonghean) - Thanks to close guidance from the commune down to the villages and strict implementation of State policies, the poverty rate in Tam Dinh commune, Tuong Duong district, has decreased sharply over the past year, from 52.05% at the beginning of 2014 to 29.30% at the beginning of 2015, becoming the locality with the highest reduction in poverty rate in this mountainous district…

Tam Dinh commune is an outlying area of ​​Tuong Duong district, with more favorable conditions for socio-economic development compared to inland communes. However, in previous years, due to the lack of rigorous poverty assessment, the annual poverty reduction rate was slow. In 2011, over 86% of households were still poor; in 2012, this decreased to over 81%; in 2013, it remained at nearly 64%; and at the beginning of 2014, the poverty rate in this commune still accounted for 52.05% of households. This poverty rate is high compared to other localities in the district.

Mr. Kha Van Khuong, from Quang Phuc village, is taking care of his buffalo.

Strictly implementing the State's policies, specifically based on Circular No. 21/2012 of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs guiding the process of investigating and reviewing poor and near-poor households annually, at the end of 2014, Tam Dinh commune directed villages to carry out the assessment of poor households for 2015. Unlike previous years where the assessment was left to the villages, this year the commune established a steering committee, headed by the Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, who directly went to each village to supervise, together with the village management board, to each household, and compiled statistics on material assets, livestock, and labor in a democratic, transparent, and objective manner. The results show that the percentage of poor households in the commune has decreased sharply, from 52% at the beginning of 2014 to 29.30%.

Mr. Vi Van Mien, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee and head of the commune's steering committee, said that before implementing the poverty assessment across the commune, the Commune People's Committee focused on disseminating information to each village about the State's policy on assessing poor and near-poor households so that people understood it thoroughly. Therefore, unlike before, this time the commune established a Steering Committee, coordinating with the village management boards to review and assess poor and near-poor households in a systematic, rigorous, transparent, and objective manner. Mr. Mien himself, as the head of the commune's steering committee, coordinated with the villages and directly visited over 90% of the households in the commune to understand the people's thoughts and aspirations, thereby compiling statistics on assets, livestock, population, and main laborers, which served as the basis for the assessment.

Families with young workers employed abroad or in major cities within the country are required to compile a summary of their total family income. Livestock such as buffalo and cattle are included in the family's existing assets based on the annual vaccination rate. This method prevents households from concealing their assets and livestock, providing a realistic basis for assessment. Previously, the assessment of poor households was left to villages, often involving favoritism towards relatives and family members, leading to competition for poverty status in order to receive government support.

According to Mr. Lo Van Tang, the head of Quang Phuc village: The village has 280 households, mainly ethnic Thai people, whose lives are primarily based on agriculture. For a long time, the village has been considered the most complex in the annual poverty assessment process of the commune. However, at the end of 2014, with the close guidance and direction of the commune, the assessment of poor and near-poor households in the village was completely different from before. After the assessment was completed, most people felt relaxed and happy, and there was no disunity in the village. This is because everyone believes that the commune's approach is practical, fair, and objective. At this time, it is the off-season for farming, so every family has adults at home taking advantage of the time to fence their garden plots, plant vegetables, take care of pigs and chickens, improve their lives, and increase their family income.

The family of Mr. Kha Van Khuong, one of the 36 households in Quang Phuc village that recently escaped poverty, is one of the 36 households in the village that recently escaped poverty. Like other households in the village, Mr. Khuong utilizes bamboo, splitting it into thin strips to make mats for covering his garden, growing vegetables, and raising chickens. His family also raises several buffaloes for breeding and plowing. The buffaloes are a significant asset to the family, so he dedicates a lot of time to caring for them daily. Mr. Khuong said that thanks to government support, his family has been able to develop buffalo farming, currently owning 8 buffaloes, a substantial asset. In addition, they cultivate many fields, saving money to build a sturdy and secure house and purchase many household amenities.

In previous years, our family was classified as a poor household by the State, but in the recent assessment, we were removed from the list. “My wife, children, and I are all healthy. Our escape from poverty motivates us to strive for a better life, while the poverty status is reserved for other truly needy families. Now, every member of the family understands that developing our family's economy to avoid falling back into poverty is everyone's responsibility, so we all work diligently,” Mr. Khuong confided.

With the results achieved in the poverty assessment at the end of 2014, Tam Dinh commune was assessed as having the highest reduction in the poverty rate in 2015 in Tuong Duong district. This is a rigorous and responsible approach to poverty assessment by the local Party committee and government, aiming to reduce the mentality of dependence on support policies for poor households, and to create positive changes in awareness and actions in socio-economic development in the commune.

Xuan Hoang