(VOVworld) – Vietnam’s national program on new rural development has gone one third of its way. The program’s steering committee reports that greater public awareness of the program’s importance is the number one achievement of the past 3 years. Rural households, even in remote mountainous areas, are now willing to donate some of their farm land to the rural development task of upgrading the local infrastructure.
Dinh Ken of Gia Lai province’s K’bang district is one of the 50 outstanding individuals awarded certificates of merit at a conference to review the new rural development program. As the head of Bo village, Dinh Ken worked hard to persuade his villagers, who belong to the Ba Na ethnic group, to contribute land, money, and labor to building roads. Ken said: "We visit every local household to encourage them to donate land, money, and labor to make roads as this will make its easier to transport sugarcane and other plants grown by local farmers to processing factories. They have all agreed to help upgrade this road."
Gia Lai province's K'bang district today. Photo: internet
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Bo villagers often sell their sugarcane to factories in An Khe commune. Thanks to newly paved roads, trucks now can reach the sugarcane fields. Local farmers no longer have to worry about transporting sugarcane and their sugarcane can be sold directly to factories at higher prices. Ken again: "Rapid rural development can be readily seen here in the modern houses, improved roads, and more productive and diverse crops. The local standard of living has improved significantly. Each of our villagers earns close to 1000 USD annually from growing sugarcane."
Lo Thi Lien, a Bo Y ethnic woman in Lao Cai province’s Muong Khuong district donated 400 square meters of land to build roads connecting local hamlets. Lien told VOV: "I’ll never regret doing that. I’m happy to see newly paved roads connecting local hamlets to make it easier for everyone to travel."
In Ha Giang province where farm land is scarce, farmers’ donations of hundreds square meters of land are highly appreciated. Ly Choi of Phin Ho hamlet, Hoang Su Phi district donated 500 square meters of his land to build a cultural house. In Ha Giang province’s Sin Cai commune, Ly Sia Sinh donated 400 square meters of land to build schools for local children. Nguyen Minh Tien, deputy chairman of Ha Giang provincial People’s Committee, said: "We understand that program success can only be achieved with local people’s full engagement. Some households in our province have donated more than 1000 square meters of land to the new rural development program, despite the fact that farm land in mountainous areas is more precious than gold."
It is the strength of community solidarity that has brought about positive results in rural development across Vietnam.