Population communication in Tan Lam parish

(Baonghean) - In previous years, Tan Lam fishing village, Nam Loc commune (Nam Dan) was known as a "lowland" in implementing population policies. But up to now, the village has become a typical example of a commune that has done well in population/family planning work. For 3 consecutive years, the village has had no one giving birth to a third child. To achieve such positive changes, it is the effort and perseverance of the population collaborators here to "stick" to the area, "go to every alley, knock on every door".

Coming to Tan Lam parish to learn about population work, we were received by Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh, a long-time population officer of the village. Pouring water for the guests, he jokingly said: In Tan Lam parish, I am considered the "person who carries the prison and the whole village". It was a joke but true, because for many years, Mr. Ninh has been in charge of the general activities of the village, the front, women and even a population collaborator. For Mr. Ninh, "although he has a lot of work, sometimes like a "child", but in return it is quite favorable because thanks to taking on many common tasks of the village, he is trusted and loved by the people".

Mr. Nguyen Van Ninh, population collaborator of Tan Lam hamlet, Nam Loc commune (Nam Dan) propagates population policy.

However, population communication work in this special area is still a difficult journey. Tan Lam Catholic hamlet has nearly 60 households, a Catholic hamlet, making a living by the river. People still believe that "giving birth is natural". Therefore, about 3 years ago, when the people of the fishing village still lived on the river, Mr. Ninh often visited families to talk with them, while also incorporating propaganda and mobilization. There were times when he would start his work by rowing a boat at night, stopping by households to distribute contraceptives to people of childbearing age because during the day, households living on boats often drift along the river to make a living. During the campaign, regardless of the sun, rain or cold wind, he rowed his boat to each household, sometimes the boats were dozens of kilometers apart to mobilize and propagate.

In recent years, the fishermen of Tan Lam have "come ashore" but their main occupation still depends on the river, so most young couples row boats to work on weekdays. Taking advantage of Wednesdays, the day when most people in the parish gather to attend mass and pray, Mr. Ninh coordinates to propagate population. Knowledge about reproductive health care/family planning is often integrated by "Mr. Ninh of population" with humorous and funny stories to tell people during propaganda sessions. Thanks to that, people can easily understand and implement. Being a male population collaborator also has his own "advantage": it is easier to approach, talk and propagate to husbands. For families who intend to have more children, he often comes to their homes to drink a cup of water, smoke a cigarette, and talk and persuade the men about the benefits of having fewer children. Thanks to his skillful and humorous way of starting conversations, the propaganda sessions become fun and comfortable; The husband is often the breadwinner in the family, so the propaganda effect is quite good.

Summer class for children in Tan Lam fishing village.

Because young couples often go to work, sometimes up Sa Nam, sometimes down Ben Thuy, sometimes they go for three or four days before returning, so during the campaign, Mr. Ninh can only contact each household by phone. He works with a spirit of volunteerism and self-sufficiency because he simply thinks of how to help people change their mindset, have fewer children to make life less poor and less difficult. For couples who have only one child, he also persistently goes to each family to propagate to the grandparents in the family. Because according to Mr. Ninh, the opinions of grandparents, those who have prestige in the family, will contribute greatly to the orientation of children.

Following “Mr. Ninh the population” to each family, witnessing his propaganda and mobilization, we can see the dedication of the population officer in this Catholic hamlet. There are families who do not understand or sympathize, so they think he is “nosy” and show an uncooperative attitude. But with his job responsibility, he persistently chooses the right time to meet, tries to get close to talk, and does ideological work. Mobilizing these families requires a process, slow and steady wins the race, starting from changing the thinking of grandparents will contribute to spreading to young couples, they also gradually become aware of implementing family planning.

Working on population in a special area not only requires skill and "charm" in communication but also dedication and wholeheartedness. During a campaign a few years ago, Mr. Ninh coordinated with the population officers of the commune to persuade two cases to sterilize. Previously, in the fishing village, there had never been a case of people accepting this contraceptive method. To encourage them, he volunteered to take the subjects to the district hospital, then regularly visited and encouraged them. For families facing difficulties and children who were often sick, Mr. Ninh always wholeheartedly helped. Thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of "Mr. Ninh on population", the people of Tan Lam parish increasingly raised their awareness of having fewer children to raise them well. Previously, women in Tan Lam fishing village were not interested in family planning or reproductive health care, but now many women have proactively asked about health check-ups and asked for advice on using contraceptive methods... The rate of accepting contraceptive methods is nearly 100%. In the past 3 years, Tan Lam village has not had a third child, a typical example of good population work in Nam Loc commune.

Thanks to the good implementation of population work, people's lives have become increasingly prosperous, the number of poor households in the hamlet has decreased rapidly in the past few years (today the whole hamlet has only 3 households). People have the conditions to take care of and invest in their children's education much better than before, the whole hamlet has 4 children in university, 20 excellent students...

Dinh Nguyet