Warm spring in the great Pu Mat forest

Life changes

At the end of the 12th lunar month, along with the cold seeping in the drizzle and north wind, the Dan Lai people in Bung and Co Phat villages - the two farthest villages of the Mon Son border commune (Con Cuong) have finished harvesting their crops and prepared dong leaves, fragrant sticky rice, a few kilos of meat and bundles of dry firewood to wrap and cook banh chung to welcome the new year 2023.

Residents and students of Co Phat village, Mon Son commune, wrap banh chung to celebrate the New Year with officers of Khe Khang Border Control Station. Photo: KL

At Khe Khang Border Control Station located in the center of Co Phat village, on a winter afternoon, the Party Secretary of Co Phat village, La Van Linh, along with students and some villagers gathered in a small yard. The woven sedge mat with red and green patterns had turned yellow and was filled with green dong leaves that the villagers had just picked from the forest. Next to it was a basket of soaked sticky rice, a few bundles of bamboo strips and a pot of fragrant pork marinated with dried onions and pepper.

Everyone is preparing to cook some Chung cakes to celebrate the New Year. The atmosphere is bustling with happy laughter about the approaching New Year, the village cadres, the people and the Border Guard soldiers have the opportunity to reminisce about the memories of the year that is about to pass.

The lives of the people of Co Phat village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district have changed a lot. Photo: KL

“It was an eventful year for our village, when the Co Phat village Party Cell recruited 3 new party members. Many households were helped to develop their economy, and students were able to go to school regularly and happily,” Secretary La Van Linh happily said.

Mr. La Van Linh has been the secretary and then the head of Co Phat village for nearly ten years, and has witnessed many changes in his people. In the great Pu Mat forest, the Dan Lai people, from the days of facing hunger and clothing shortages, living makeshift lives in remote mountains, now have many families with sturdy tiled and corrugated iron roofs, and many roads have been paved with concrete for convenient travel.

“To make the above changes, the Border Guard and local authorities have made great efforts to guide people from the smallest things such as eating, living, daily activities to economic development…”, Mr. Linh said.

Spring is warm with military-civilian love in Co Phat village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district. Photo: KL

Therefore, every year when spring comes, people become more attached to and trust the government and the military because they have helped people do many practical things.

While wrapping banh chung with the border guards, while talking about the New Year customs of the Dan Lai people, Mr. La Van Tam, who lives right next to Khe Khang Border Control Station, said, “On New Year’s Day, our people often wrap banh chung and buffalo horn cakes, go into the forest to find bamboo shoots, and catch fish in streams to offer to our ancestors on New Year’s Eve and the first days of the new year. Everyone, every family organizes singing, wishes each other a warm cup of wine, wishes each other a peaceful new year, good crops, and unites to help each other in life.”

Road to Bung village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district. Photo: KL

Deeper into Co Phat, the road to Bung village must pass through 2 iron bridges and 3 wooden bridges across the stream. As spring approaches, although the road is long and difficult due to landslides and slippery roads, the people of Bung village still try to prepare for a decent Tet.

The first impression when entering the village is that the houses and fences protecting the fields and gardens are all made of bamboo.

According to the locals, the bamboo is a plant with many uses and has been with the Dan Lai people from birth until they return to Heaven. The bamboo material taken from the forest will be soaked in rivers and streams to prevent termites. The soaking time is at least 1 month, after soaking for enough time, it can be used to build houses and fences.

The houses of the people of Bung village, Mon Son commune, Con Cuong district are mainly made of bamboo. Photo: KL

Following the cadres of the Bung village guard post, we visited the house of Party cell secretary La Van Trang while he was splitting bamboo to make a trellis for growing squash. Stopping to chat happily, Mr. Trang said: The village has 115 households, 486 people, life is still very difficult, but in recent years, thanks to the help of the local Party Committee and Border Guard stationed in the area, the people's lives have changed positively.

In addition to 19 hectares of rice fields, people also grow vegetables, raise cattle and buffalo, and some households provide services. In the past, Tet was all about eating enough, but now, every family, no matter how big or small, prepares more delicious dishes than usual, shares a pig to worship their ancestors, and entertains guests.

Party cell secretary La Van Trang talks with border guard officers of Bung village. Photo: KL

The Party cell and the village management board also called on people to clean the environment inside their houses and outside their alleys to prepare for Tet. “This year’s Tet is especially more enjoyable because thanks to the support of border party members temporarily living at the Party cell, the village has admitted 3 new party members, bringing the total number of party members of the Bung village Party cell to 12 comrades. The Dan Lai people in Khe Khang have now changed,” said Party cell secretary La Van Trang excitedly.

Stick to the village, stick to the people

Mon Son Border Guard Station has 1 control station located at Co Phat village and 1 checkpoint located at Bung village - 2 villages of Dan Lai people in the core zone of Pu Mat National Park. In addition to performing the task of protecting the border, the station and checkpoint staff also stay in the villages, propagate and mobilize people to strictly comply with the Party's policies and the State's laws, propagate and raise awareness among people about family planning, the harms and violations of the law of incestuous marriage, child marriage; build economic models to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty.

Khe Khang Border Control Station officers instruct Co Phat villagers on how to take care of vegetables. Photo: KL

Major Phan Van Thanh - Head of Khe Khang Border Station in Co Phat village said: To make people believe and listen, first of all, the station staff must build a model for people to see and follow. It's as simple as growing vegetables, each season has its own produce, the vegetable garden in the station is always lush with green from many kinds of vegetables and fruits. From there, the station supports seeds, guides people to grow vegetables, expands rice acreage, helps villagers build roads, houses, livestock barns, etc.

Implementing Directive 681, which was concretized by Resolution No. 882-NQ/DU of the Provincial Border Guard Party Committee "on assigning border guard station party members to be in charge of households in border areas", the green-uniformed soldiers stationed in Co Phat and Bung village proactively approached households, directly held hands and guided them, diversified propaganda forms with the motto "slow and steady wins the race" to help households raise awareness, overcome the mindset of "waiting and relying" on the State's policies to overcome difficulties and rise up.

Party members of Mon Son Border Guard Station talk with households assigned to help. Photo: KL

Typically, Mr. La Van Tam's household in Co Phat village was guided and supported by border guards at the Station in breeding, planting, and disease prevention and has become a well-off household in the village with a model of raising rice, vegetables, pigs, 50-60 chickens and ducks, and 8 buffaloes and cows.

“It was very difficult before, but now that the Border Guard is helping, life is better, Tet is warmer and happier. On the 29th and 30th of Lunar New Year, we slaughter pigs, cook cakes, catch fish in the stream, pick vegetables in the garden, and raise chickens and ducks ourselves, so we don't lack anything,” Mr. Tam shared.

Some households in the village have bought plows, milling machines, opened goods and services shops... and even carpentry workshops to serve the essential needs of the people. Before Tet, the village chief of Co Phat La Van Tam, born in 1988, was still working hard at his carpentry workshop to complete the products that the people ordered.

Mr. Tam said: Having a talent for carpentry, encouraged by the border guards, since 2016 he has been experimenting with making carpentry for the villagers, gradually developing it into a small carpentry workshop to both stabilize the family economy and serve the needs of the villagers. "Previously, if the villagers wanted to buy a table or chair, they had to transport it from the center of Mon Son commune, which was very difficult because of the difficult traffic, so I took on the job for the villagers. I do carpentry, farm, and raise 5 buffaloes and cows, as the village chief, I have to take the lead in developing the economy for the villagers to hear and believe," said Mr. Tam.

In addition to raising livestock and growing crops, the Dan Lai people in Bung and Co Phat villages have developed many additional industries. Photo: KL

Through a short conversation with us, the young village chief also said: For the people of Dan Lai, the Border Guard is as close as a family member. On Tet holidays, the men still take turns staying to celebrate Tet and visiting the villagers, very happily and warmly. The Border Guard not only helps the people eliminate backward customs and lifestyles, actively develop the economy; cares about children's education; supports the Party cell and the village management board to enhance their leadership role and direct activities in the village, but also cares about the health of the people. "Here, the roads are far away, so when people are sick, they all rely on the border medical staff at the station" - Mr. La Van Tam emphasized.

This was demonstrated when we were talking to the green-uniformed soldiers at the Co Phap Control Station when we saw Mr. La Van Minh - a villager - running in a panic and informing that his wife was sick and asked the border medical staff to come to his house to examine her. Hearing that, the green-uniformed medical staff Hoang Kim Thang quickly stood up and took the medical equipment and left immediately. After examining and prescribing medicine, Mr. La Van Minh's wife's health was stable. Mr. Minh went to the station to express his gratitude, "Tet is coming, if it weren't for the border medical staff, we wouldn't know what to do."

Military doctors at Khe Khang Border Control Station examine the health of Mr. La Van Minh's wife in Co Phat village. Photo: Hoai Thu

Leaving Khe Khang, we came across a group of students carrying small bundles of firewood, chatting away. “Where are you going?” “We are giving firewood to the border guards to cook banh chung for Tet,” one of the students quickly answered when we asked.

Children in Co Phat village bring firewood to give to soldiers to cook banh chung. Photo: KL

Suddenly, Spring feels warmer because of the simple military-civilian relationship in the Pu Mat wilderness, despite many difficulties, it is full of love and sharing...