The youth of Nghia Dan contribute to building new rural areas.

(Baonghean)Clearing vegetation, expanding village roads and alleys; taking the lead in introducing seeds and seedlings into production, creating jobs and increasing income; expanding industries and shifting the labor structure in the locality… These practical actions of the youth of Nghia Dan are contributing to creating a new rural landscape in this area.

Traveling nearly 30km from the district center to Cuong hamlet, Nghia Khanh commune, we arrived just as the local youth were participating in a rural road construction project. Loudspeakers blared songs praising the volunteer spirit of the youth; laughter and chatter filled the air; the sounds of hoes and shovels striking rocks and gravel created a vibrant atmosphere throughout the countryside. Recalling the days of hazy dust and potholes during the sunny season, and the muddy conditions during the rainy season when it was impossible to walk on the road connecting Nghia Duc and Nghia Khanh communes, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Dong from Cuong hamlet showed clear signs of weariness.



The Nghia Dan District Youth Union is building roads in Cuong hamlet (Nghia Khanh).

Therefore, when the Nghia Khanh commune youth union started the "Youth Road" project, transforming the once "difficult" road into a wide, elevated road with drainage installed, not only Mrs. Dong but also the people of Nghia Khanh and Nghia Duc communes were very happy. The project has a total length of 700m, a width of 3.2m, and an excavation and embankment volume of about 300m3, estimated at over 50 million VND, contributed by nearly 500 youth union members. "Now we no longer worry when the rainy season comes, nor do we fear that during the harvest season, vehicles will have to jostle and avoid each other on the narrow road. With a wide, elevated road, travel is very convenient!" - Mrs. Dong shared.

In Nghia Loc commune, over the years, youth union members have also carried out many meaningful activities in response to the "Youth joining hands to build new rural areas" movement. Besides undertaking projects such as building rural roads, dredging irrigation canals, renovating playgrounds, sports fields, and village cultural centers, the "Nghia Loc Youth spearheading economic development" movement has created a new impetus in labor and production in this purely agricultural area.

Nguyen Khanh Vy, Secretary of the Nghia Loc Commune Youth Union, said: “When the new rural development program was launched, after carefully studying the criteria, the Commune Youth Union mobilized its members to take the lead in applying new plant and animal varieties, mechanization, and introducing scientific and technological advancements into production…” To date, the entire commune has 50 economic models run by young people with an income of 50 million VND/year or more. Typical examples include the combined agriculture-forestry-fishery farm of Mr. Cao Nhu Nui; the CPI-based livestock farming model of Mr. Ha Huy Khanh (Khe Sai hamlet); and the porcupine farming model of Mr. Nguyen Van On (Tan Lap hamlet)… These economic models have created regular jobs for hundreds of local young people and serve as “models” for farmers in the commune to learn from and apply.

With the motto "Every young person does one volunteer work, every youth union branch undertakes one practical project to contribute to building new rural areas," from the beginning of 2013 to the present, the Nghia Dan District Youth Union has directed its branches to complete 25 projects at the commune level worth nearly 200 million VND: dredging canals; building rural roads; leveling the ground for village cultural houses and sports areas...

During this year's summer volunteer campaign, the District Youth Union directed grassroots youth organizations to coordinate with student volunteer groups from universities and colleges to promote awareness among ethnic minority communities in remote areas about environmental hygiene and waste management; maintaining "Volunteer Saturday," "Green Sunday," youth-managed road sections, and the "waste-saving bin" model in Nghia Tho, Nghia Binh, Nghia Minh, and Nghia Lam communes. Simultaneously, youth union members also served as a vanguard force in maintaining security and order in the area, notably the "Inter-branch Security Team" model, which rotates patrols to protect property and maintain security in villages, exemplified by the units of Nghia Thang, Nghia Lien, Nghia Hong, and Nghia Tan.

Recognizing that young people are dynamic, creative, and quick-witted, making up the majority of the rural workforce, the application of science and technology and new plant and animal varieties in production and livestock farming has been a priority for all levels of the Youth Union. This has led to the emergence of many new economic models by young people, such as: growing ginger, cassava, and fragrant root plants under the canopy in Nghia Lam, Nghia Minh, and Nghia Duc; raising porcupines, crickets, and grasshoppers; and raising freshwater crabs in Nghia Long and Nghia Loc. Many young people have boldly learned trades and opened services such as: mechanics, electrical work, animal feed, and pesticides in their localities.

To date, the district has 120 business models run by 120 young people, each generating an income of over 50 million VND per year, with many achieving high incomes of 200 to over 300 million VND per year. These business models have contributed to improving conservative and outdated thinking in production and shifting agricultural production towards a commodity-based approach. Through the Youth Union's entrusted channels, nearly 2,500 young people have received loans totaling 48 billion VND; 74% of young people have received vocational training; and approximately 400 young people have found employment annually.

Mr. Pham Quang Hien, Acting Secretary of the Nghia Dan District Youth Union, said: “Building new rural areas has 19 criteria, and not all criteria can be met by youth union members. The important thing is to know how to choose suitable tasks, to know how to grasp and exploit the strengths of young people, and to integrate them into each specific criterion. A notable example is contributing labor to the construction of rural transportation infrastructure; linking the Youth Union's "four new" movement with the restructuring of crop and livestock production and the transformation of the rural economy.”

The new rural landscape is gradually emerging in Nghia Dan. With movements such as: "Youth excelling in economic activities," "four new rural youth branches," and "youth volunteers protecting the environment," the youth of Nghia Dan have been, are, and will continue to demonstrate their pioneering spirit and make effective contributions to the construction of new rural areas in their homeland.

Duy Nam