Focus on rapid poverty reduction and sustainable poverty escape

(Baonghean) - With the participation of agencies and units, many villages in Western Nghe An have changed. Basic infrastructure has been improved, people's lives have been raised. But more importantly, the thinking and awareness of people and commune-level officials in many localities have been improved, overcoming the mentality of waiting and relying on others...

Implement the work in practice

When assigned to help Thach Giam commune of 30a Tuong Duong district, the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee surveyed and found that in Phong village, there were 2 hectares of land that the villagers reclaimed to grow rice, but due to a year-round lack of water, most of it had to be left fallow.

After that, this agency cooperated with the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Vinh University to build a clean vegetable growing model for the people. Initially, 25/165 households in Phong village participated in the implementation, each household was contracted an average of 500m2.²to produce clean vegetables. In implementing the project, the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Vinh University coordinated with the Department of Agriculture, the Agricultural Extension Station of Tuong Duong district to organize training, transfer science and technology, support farmers with seeds and fertilizers. At the same time, technical staff are regularly present in the fields to guide farmers from land preparation, sowing to fertilization.

The land has not failed its people, from a barren land it has now become a specialized area for growing clean vegetables with high income. The family of Ms. Lo Thi Tam in Phong village, Thach Giam commune is one of the first households to participate in the project with 400 m²land, now brings efficiency each vegetable crop for income from 10 - 15 million VND.

However, the effectiveness does not stop at economic value, as Ms. Tam shared: “What people are most excited about when participating in the project is changing the way of production. With the clean vegetable growing project, people know how to renovate mixed gardens to grow commercial crops, thereby increasing income and improving their lives. The whole village has 54 households participating from 25 households, not only growing vegetables, with that area, people rotate crops, do not let the land rest, in the dry season they grow peanuts and corn, after harvesting, they grow green vegetables”. From that practical effectiveness, the clean vegetable growing model of Phong village has been replicated in Lau village and Mac village of Thach Giam commune.

Officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command disseminate the law to people in Nam Giai commune (Que Phong). Photo: Trong Kien

It can be said that the practical help of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Commission has contributed to making Thach Giam commune the first commune in District 30a of Nghe An province to reach the new rural finish line in 2015.

Similarly, the Provincial Women's Union was assigned to help the poor border commune of Hanh Dich, Que Phong district. From 2013 to present, the provincial union has supported 38.8 million VND for 16 women members in difficult circumstances to borrow interest-free loans. Along with that, the union coordinated with the Agricultural and Forestry Extension Station of Que Phong district to train and transfer science and technology in planting and raising livestock to members of the commune Women's Union and the 30a young intellectual team went down to the branch to train and guide women members to grow new varieties of vegetables and plants such as squash, cucumber, acacia, etc. in the form of "holding hands and showing them how to do it".

Ms. Ngan Thi Ba, in Chieng village, Hanh Dich commune, is one of the women's union members who received loans to develop pig farming. Her family used to be poor, but since accessing knowledge and receiving support from capital sources, her family has been raising pigs effectively, earning an income of 60 - 70 million VND/year and officially escaping poverty. In addition, Ms. Ba's family has also planted 8 hectares of acacia. Ms. Ba shared: "Previously, I also raised pigs but only let them roam freely, so it was not effective. Since being instructed by officials on techniques for building pens and preventing diseases, the concentrated pig herd has developed well, selling 4 litters each year."

With the participation of the Provincial Women's Union, many women have applied their knowledge into practice, effectively promoting loan capital to develop family economy and sustainably eliminate poverty. In addition, the Provincial Union also supports the development of the club: "Women preventing and combating crime and social evils", the model "Supporting the community to prevent and combat human trafficking", the model "Educating 5 million mothers to raise good children".

The movement to help 110 poor communes in Western Nghe An with the motto "down to the village, to every house" has really created a great influence, brought many practical effects, contributing to sustainable hunger eradication and poverty reduction for these local districts.

Prioritizing resources for sustainable poverty reduction

From the policy of assigning provincial agencies and units to help poor communes, the movement has not only stopped at the provincial level but has also expanded to the district level. Tuong Duong and other mountainous districts are implementing a policy of assigning departments, offices or socio-political organizations at the district level to help poor communes; each cadre and party member in poor communes is assigned to help a poor household in the area. "We have been focusing on changing people's awareness from self-sufficient production to commodity production to increase family income," said Chairman of Tuong Duong District People's Committee Nguyen Van Hai.

Effective pig farming model of women in Hanh Dich commune, Que Phong district

With this practical support, the poor in the province have more conditions and motivation to overcome difficulties and improve their lives. However, poverty reduction in Nghe An still faces many challenges. According to the multidimensional poverty standard, by the end of 2015, Nghe An had 95,205 poor households, accounting for 12.1%; the number of near-poor households was over 10.23%, equivalent to 80,464 households. In particular, the localities with high poverty rates are still districts 30a: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong. In general, poor and near-poor households are mainly concentrated in the western region of Nghe An, ethnic minorities and partly in the coastal areas.

Thoroughly implementing the direction of the Prime Minister at the National Online Conference to deploy the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2016-2020 period and responding to the movement: "The whole country joins hands for the poor - No one is left behind", Nghe An is implementing many solutions to carry out sustainable and effective poverty reduction.

In particular, Nghe An focuses on mobilizing and prioritizing investment resources for poverty reduction goals; striving to reach a total mobilized capital of VND 18,500 billion in the next 5 years, an average of VND 3,700 billion per year. With this total resource, the province aims to mobilize VND 892.5 billion through socialization in the next 5 years, an average of VND 178.5 billion per year, in which one of the important solutions is to continue to effectively implement support and assistance activities of 108 agencies and units receiving assistance for 110 poor communes in the West as assigned by the Provincial People's Committee.

PV Group