A new wave of joy sweeps through the village.

(Baonghean) - For weeks now, people of ethnic minorities in the remote communes of Pha Danh, My Ly, Muong Long, Na Loi (Ky Son district) and Chau Phong (Quy Chau district) have been eagerly awaiting a great joy: In just a few days, the national electricity grid will reach their villages, bringing with it "the light that changes lives"; this event also serves as a shared celebration to welcome the new term of the Provincial Party Congress 2015-2020...

We traveled along the paved road connecting Muong Xen town (Ky Son district), winding through Pha Danh, Huoi Tu, Na Loi, My Ly, and Muong Long, where rows of power poles stood out against the backdrop of the deep green mountains, bringing electricity to the remote villages. Upon reaching the center of Muong Long commune, the highland market was already bustling with the buying and selling of electrical equipment. On the concrete poles erected along the village roads, boxes containing electricity meters had been installed, with wires connected to each house. The villagers' faces lit up with joy at the prospect of national electricity reaching their villages; electric lights, televisions, and many other appliances would soon be illuminated in every home.

The transformer station in Chau Phong commune (Quy Chau district) is ready for the power supply day.

Stopping by Mrs. Hờ Y Xì's clothing shop right at the entrance to Mường Lống market, we saw two old foot-operated sewing machines. Mrs. Y Xì said that for over 10 years, she and her daughter have worked hard pedaling the sewing machines every day to get clothes ready for customers. Once the national power grid is available, she plans to invest in an electric sewing machine to make things easier, and install a high-wattage light bulb to provide enough light for her and her daughter to sew at night, thus producing more clothing...

Upon arriving at Muong Long 2 village, many villagers came out to admire the brand-new electricity meters hanging on the poles. Ms. Lau Y Xia confided: “For the past few months, the power company workers have been working continuously to bring electricity to the villagers, and we are so happy. Now the villagers can see the electricity meters with their own eyes, see the power company workers carefully connecting the wires to their houses, and even receive a light bulb from the government. According to the loudspeaker, the government will connect the electricity at the beginning of October, so we won't have to struggle with the mini generators running in the stream anymore.” Then, Ms. Y Xia led us to the area where the rice milling machine is located, which she and her husband bought to serve the villagers. Once the grid electricity is available, she plans to sell her fattened bull to buy a motor to replace the generator…

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Muong Long Commune, Mr. Va No Vu, enthusiastically stated: "These days, local people are eagerly awaiting the day they have electricity so they can enjoy the light of civilization from the national power grid. Although it is a remote area, many Mong ethnic households here, thanks to their diligent buffalo and cattle farming, have earned a decent income and have enough money to buy electrical appliances. According to the plan of the District People's Committee, by October 8th, the Electricity sector will officially connect electricity to Muong Long Commune. This phase will connect electricity to 5 out of 13 villages in Muong Long Commune, including Trung Tam, Muong Long 1, Muong Long 2, Long Keo, and Xa Lay villages. With electricity, people's lives will quickly change. After the electricity is connected, the commune will build two large water tanks to pump water from the stream to store for use during the dry season for the Commune People's Committee, health station, schools, etc., because during the dry season, the current small water tanks are empty." In this cold region, many families will change their method of raising broiler chickens in large quantities for commercial purposes by using electric heaters to warm the chickens. At Muong Long market, many families will expand their businesses to sell electrical goods, clothing, and repair motorbikes, creating jobs for young workers.

Knowing that the national power grid would reach their village in a few days, the people of Chau Phong commune bought televisions to use.

At the ongoing power line construction site, Mr. Cao Van Giap, Director of the Ky Son Power Branch, stated: "Our unit's nhiệm vụ is to inspect, supervise, and receive and operate the project. Therefore, our staff takes turns being present at the construction site to ensure the construction unit follows the correct procedures, schedule, quality, and design specifications. This time, Ky Son has four communes receiving state investment for the construction of the national power grid: Pha Danh, Muong Long, My Ly, and Na Loi, providing electricity to a total of 1,200 households. According to the plan, all these communes will be connected to the grid by October 8th. Therefore, the Ky Son Power Branch is urging the construction unit to work quickly and complete the remaining tasks. By October 3rd, the construction units had completed the pole erection, about 60% of the power lines had been strung up, and eight transformer stations had been transported to their locations and were ready for installation." According to the plan of Nghe An Power Company, by the end of 2015, 100% of the communes in Ky Son district will have access to the national power grid.

Upon arriving in Chau Phong commune (Quy Chau district), we could feel the joy clearly reflected on the faces of the people. At several electrical appliance stores, the atmosphere was quite lively with people buying electronic and refrigeration equipment. Mrs. Lu Thi Quan, a resident of Toong 2 village, nearly 70 years old, said with a toothless smile: “I’ve lived almost my whole life without ever seeing electric lights. Now that the Party and the State are paying attention, Chau Phong commune will soon have electricity – what could be more joyful than that!”

Indeed, for the Thai ethnic minority in Chau Phong commune, having access to electricity has been a long-held dream. Due to the remote location and difficult economic conditions, although the idea of ​​bringing electricity to the community had been nurtured by the government and the electricity sector for a long time, it has only now become a reality. Nguyen Dinh Hoan, a mechanic in Moi hamlet, shared: “For a long time, I spent an average of 3 million dong per month on fuel to run my generator, but the generator's power supply was often unstable, causing machinery to break down quickly. Therefore, I didn't dare invest heavily. Now, waiting for the electricity to be connected, my family has bought additional bench drills and iron bending machines to prepare for expanding production.” Luong Van Luat, from Toong 2 village, couldn't hide his emotion: “I'm so happy! Every time I go to the district market and pass by areas with electricity, seeing people listening to the radio and watching TV, I always longed to be like them. Now I've almost acquired all the necessary items for daily life, just waiting for the electricity to be connected!”

According to Mr. Giang, the owner of an electronics store in Xom Moi hamlet: For a long time, there was no electricity, so only those with the means could afford to buy water turbines. However, because the electricity supply was unstable, the consumption of electrical appliances was limited. Soon, Chau Phong will be connected to the electricity grid, and the demand for electrical appliances will increase. "My family plans to expand our business, providing more electrical appliances to serve the needs of the people," Mr. Giang emphasized.

The joy of having electricity wasn't limited to individual families; the anticipation of the power connection also resonated with the staff at the commune's health station. While cleaning and preparing the vaccine storage cabinet, Quang Van Dung, Deputy Head of the Chau Phong Commune Health Station, said: "The station received a vaccine storage cabinet in 2009, but we haven't used it since because of the lack of electricity. As a result, we had to store vaccines in a refrigerator powered by a water turbine, which wasn't very reliable. Not to mention, during nighttime emergencies, the lack of lighting was very difficult… Therefore, for us, the greatest joy is having electricity because it makes providing healthcare to the people much more convenient."

According to Mr. Luong Van Nam, Chairman of the Chau Phong Commune People's Committee, the entire commune has 1,474 households. However, on this occasion, only over 200 households in Toong 2, Xom Moi, and Bua villages received electricity, but this is truly a shared joy for the entire commune. Having electricity will be a turning point for the commune, providing further impetus for development in all aspects and accelerating the poverty reduction efforts.

Speaking with us, Mr. Le Quang Thanh, Head of the Project Management Board of Nghe An Power Company, said: The rural electrification project from the national grid in Nghe An province, phase 2014-2016, when completed, will supply electricity to the centers of 16 communes in 3 districts of Ky Son, Tuong Duong, and Quy Chau, covering 41 villages and 4,265 households, with a total investment of 206 billion VND. Currently, the company is accelerating the construction progress, aiming to energize the centers of 5 communes – Muong Long, My Ly, Pa Danh, Na Loi, and Chau Phong – before the 18th Provincial Party Congress, and to energize the remaining communes by the end of the year to serve the people celebrating the Lunar New Year.

...In the highlands where the national electricity grid is about to reach, rice in the fields is flowering, corn in the hills has ripened to a golden yellow, and once again the ethnic minorities are harvesting a new crop. But perhaps the joy is far greater: the people are about to immerse themselves in the light of this "new energy source," which will propel them towards a prosperous and civilized life.

Notes:X.HOANG - D.CUONG