“Smart villages and hamlets”, the core of “digital countryside”

At the cultural house of hamlet 2, Kim Lien commune, there is a special bulletin board that has appeared for more than a year now. It is no longer a paper bulletin board like before, but now, each information box has a pre-installed QR code. With just a light touch on the phone screen, people can quickly update information about the local economy, politics, culture, as well as digital applications serving daily life.

In a purely agricultural village like Kim Lien, the appearance of the “digital bulletin board” is considered a significant step forward in the journey of building smart villages and hamlets. Mrs. Phan Thi Chau, 65 years old, excitedly said:“Since the digital bulletin board was created, the people in the neighborhood have always been able to quickly know the announcements from the neighborhood, commune, province, and even the Central Government. Every day, my neighbors and I go to the cultural house to scan for new news, which is extremely convenient. The village and commune officials often give us instructions, so even the elderly like me know how to use the phone to read.”

In order for digital applications to be effectively applied in daily life, local authorities have taken advantage of available resources - when more than 90% of people use smartphones. From that foundation, community digital technology groups can easily access and "show people how to install applications, scan QR codes, or make cashless payments. Gradually, using phones to look up information, register for administrative procedures, or buy and sell agricultural products online has become familiar - even for the elderly.

Mr. Tran Thanh Hai - Vice Chairman of Kim Lien Commune People's Committee said:“The commune has focused on investing in internet network systems, 4G and 5G wifi modems in the village cultural house to serve the people. In addition, we encourage people to use smartphone systems to implement smart villages on a digital platform.”

From the changes in people's thinking and working methods, the digital transformation journey in Kim Lien commune has become clearer with the core role of the "community digital technology team".

On the basis of applications such as Zalo and Messenger, communication channels between the Village Executive Committee and the people have been established. Thanks to that, the distance between the government and the people seems to be shortened, policies and guidelines are disseminated faster and more effectively. And most importantly, people feel that they are truly the subject of digital transformation in the countryside.

Ms. Hoang Thi Mau - Secretary, Head of Hamlet 2, Kim Lien Commune shared:“In the beginning, we faced many difficulties because we had no money and the hamlet fund had not been collected yet. But after we announced it on the hamlet loudspeaker, we received support from many benefactors. Then, our superiors also accompanied the digital technology team to guide the people, helping the hamlet's digital technology team complete its tasks.”

The story of Mr. Nguyen Tat Khuong - Van Hien commune is a typical example. Although he is old and has been involved in animal husbandry all his life, thanks to learning how to use a smartphone, Mr. Khuong has completely changed his economic thinking. The phone is now not only for communication, but also helps him look up knowledge, learn new techniques, connect with customers and promote products:“The Farmers' Association opened a training class, I was given books, notebooks, documents, and they also showed me how to approach things so I could grasp things faster. Now, thanks to the internet and smartphones, I can access things more easily. Secondly, I can grasp the market, what to raise, what to sell, and it is much easier.”

In Van Hien commune, stories like Mr. Nguyen Tat Khuong – a farmer who has changed thanks to technology are no longer rare. And certainly, in many rural areas in Nghe An, smartphones, the internet and digital applications have become a part of people's daily lives.

Thanks to that change, a new rural appearance is gradually taking shape – where technology becomes a bridge connecting the community, helping to improve the quality of life and management at the grassroots level.

Secretary and Hamlet Chief of Tan Son 6 Hamlet, Van Hien Commune, Mr. Tran Ngoc Canh added:“When there is a meeting or any information that needs to be discussed, we post it on the Zalo group so that people can quickly grasp the information. Therefore, for Party cell meetings or Front meetings, we no longer have to announce them on the loudspeaker, we just send a message to the group so people can access it very quickly.”

The changes show that digital transformation is the fastest way to overcome space and time barriers, creating equal opportunities in accessing information, knowledge, services and socio-economic activities. Mr. Pham Quang Sang - Vice Chairman of Hop Minh Commune People's Committee, affirmed:“The commune is also trying to replicate this model, focusing on building a digital platform, increasing training so that people can better understand the model as well as coordinating and combining with related units. Especially training on applying science and technology, strengthening the construction of sales websites and livestreaming products to continue developing this model locally.”

Currently, all smart villages and hamlets in Nghe An province have free wifi network serving people at the hamlet cultural house; over 90% of people use 4G, 5G smartphones, over 70% of people are trained, educated, improve digital skills and participate in using digital platforms, mobile applications and online services provided by state agencies.