Exemplary cases of poverty escape

When mentioning Mùa A Giàng from Nậm Chim 1 village, Si Pa Phìn commune, locals are proud of this active, creative party member, who is close to the people, dares to think, act, and boldly engage in economic development and poverty reduction. Leveraging the fertile land and vast meadows, Giàng invested in building livestock pens, developing cattle and buffalo farming, aquaculture, and planting medicinal plants like Sa nhân (a type of herbal plant) and cinnamon. Through hard work and creativity, after many years of effort, Giàng now owns a 30-hectare farm with nearly 30 cattle and buffalo, 6,000m2 of fish ponds, Sa nhân, and cinnamon cultivation; his farm generates over VND 270 million annually.

Giàng shared: “In the past, I didn’t focus on investment and mainly let the animals graze freely, so the cattle and buffalo grew slowly and often got sick. After attending training sessions and receiving guidance from experts, I built solid livestock pens, installed feeding systems, and kept the pens clean. Particularly, caring for cattle and buffalo requires knowledge of each stage of growth to ensure they are healthy for reproduction. I also used the leftovers from straw, corn stalks after harvest and set aside land to grow elephant grass, fermenting it to have a steady food supply for the cattle and buffalo while implementing disease prevention measures.”

In Nà Sự village, Chà Nưa commune, we visited Kim Thị Thị’s family, a role model in economic development and self-reliance, supported by the Women’s Union of the district. Thanks to hard work, active livestock farming, and production, Kim Thị Thị has escaped poverty and now stands out as a successful family in the commune. Thị explained: “To develop my economy, I dared to change my production methods, build livestock pens, and raise both breeding pigs and market pigs. To ensure good-quality breeding pigs and safe food standards, I ensure full vaccination for the pigs from the start. I also choose reputable animal feed brands and mix home-grown vegetables for them.”

As a result, Thị’s pig farm is free from diseases, and her breeding and market pigs sell at good prices because both traders and farmers trust the quality of the animals. Currently, Thị raises 60 to 80 pigs per batch. Additionally, Thị runs a small grocery store serving the people in the village. Each year, her family’s economic model generates an income of VND 200 to 300 million.

It’s not just Mùa A Giàng and Kim Thị Thị; across Nậm Pồ district, many households are diligently working, finding jobs, and working in industrial zones both within and outside the province to improve their income, raise their standard of living, and voluntarily apply to leave the poverty list. These examples are precious and offer lessons for others with a mindset of dependency to learn from and follow.

Igniting the desire to escape poverty

According to statistics, by the end of 2024, the poverty rate in Nậm Pồ is expected to reduce to 42.16%, and by the end of 2025, it is projected to decrease further to 37.63%, exceeding the set target. To achieve these impressive poverty reduction results, Nậm Pồ has implemented many effective and creative methods that suit the reality of each locality. A key factor in the success has been the responsibility of party members, local authorities, village leaders, and credible figures who have pioneered in economic development, building sustainable livelihoods. Alongside this, the district has done well in raising awareness, encouraging and persuading people to shed the mentality of waiting for assistance, changing their mindset and actions, and fostering self-reliance and dignity, building confidence and a strong desire to escape poverty.

To reduce poverty in a multi-dimensional, comprehensive, and sustainable way, investing in people’s capacity, knowledge, and skills to harness each individual’s inner potential is critical. Based on support programs and projects, Nậm Pồ has issued policies related to employment, increasing income, vocational training, job creation, and labor export. The district has also worked alongside people in transitioning their crop and livestock structures to improve agricultural production efficiency. It has also implemented various measures for sustainable poverty reduction.

In 2024, as part of the national program for sustainable poverty reduction, Nậm Pồ received over VND 104.979 billion to implement poverty reduction policies. With this funding, several infrastructure projects such as roads, irrigation canals, schools, and health stations have been repaired, upgraded, or newly built in remote communes and villages to meet the socio-economic development needs of the district.

Vocational training for rural laborers has been a priority for the district, with positive results. In 2024, the district trained 1,048 rural workers, created jobs for 768 workers, and introduced job opportunities to 2,264 workers. The district has also conducted surveys on labor conditions, employment, and labor demand from businesses and recruiting agencies to guide vocational training.

Nậm Pồ has also implemented pilot models with creative approaches, changing crop and livestock structures, and developing economic models such as passion fruit, pineapple, orange, and medicinal plants. The district provides guidance to the poor to help them escape poverty sustainably while incorporating national programs. Additionally, the district promotes the transfer of science and technology and ensures that the poor and near-poor have access to favorable loan capital to invest in economic development or labor export. The district has also mobilized the entire political system from the district level to grassroots in implementing synchronized poverty reduction measures, fostering the spirit of “self-reliance, self-respect, and pride,” especially for poor and near-poor households to strive to overcome poverty.

With these efforts, the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and meeting the criteria for building new rural areas will be achieved in line with the set schedule.