Dong Ha – Ha Giang’s first commune recognized as new-style rural area
Photo: quangtri.vn
Dong Ha’s farmers are in the middle of their harvest season. Thanks to the commune’s newly paved roads, it’s now much easier for them to transport rice and corn between their fields and home via truck and horse-wagon. Duong Duc Thang of Na Sai hamlet attributes their bumper crops to the local government’s capital and technical assistance and an improved irrigation system. Thang told VOV: "Since we started implementing the national new rural development program, our living conditions have gone up a notch. It’s more convenient now for us to travel on paved roads and take part in community activities at our new cultural house. The local economy has improved significantly. The number of poor households has fallen from 30 to 6 and the local average income per capita is now approximately 1000USD/year."
Dong Ha is a mountain commune in Ha Giang’s Quan Ba district with 622 households of 10 ethnic groups, living in 4 hamlets. Nguyen Huu Nghiep, chairman of Dong Ha communal People’s Committee, said Dong Ha is proud to be the first of Ha Giang’s 6 poor communes to have fulfilled all of the national rural development program’s criteria in 2015. Nghiep said: "Right from our first days implementing the program, we set up a steering committee to publicize information and encourage local people to get involved. Thanks to the local people’s consensus and contribution in terms of land, money, and labor, local infrastructure has been significantly upgraded."
In addition to 400,000 USD from the state budget, Dong Ha people have donated their labor, money worth 15000 USD, and nearly 10,000 square meters of land for roads. Nguyen Huu Nghiep again: "The program’s success is due to the local government and people’s determination and consensus in new rural development. After completing all 19 criteria, we have set up programs to maintain our achievements and further boost local socio-economic development. The local government is helping local farmers apply advanced cultivation and husbandry models as part of this effort."