The flash floods that occurred this past late July and early August caused severe damage to the home of Mr. Lò Văn Hòa’s family in Mường Luân commune. Facing the worry of no longer having a roof over their heads, Mr. Hòa’s family received timely support from the local government, various departments, and the armed forces, who joined hands to help them build a new, spacious house.

On the day the house was handed over, in the presence of provincial leaders, the armed forces, and numerous fellow villagers, Mr. Hòa emotionally shared: “When our house was severely affected by the natural disaster, our family didn’t know where to turn. Thanks to the care of the Party and the State, along with the local government and the people in our village, my family now has a permanent home. With this new house, my family can focus on working and producing to build a stable life.”

With a spirit of unity and a common will to help people settle down, Điện Biên province has implemented many practical solutions to accelerate the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses in the area. Each new house that is built not only provides shelter but also kindles new faith and hope for the people in the highlands.

Previously, due to old age, poor health, and difficult economic conditions, Ms. Lò Thị Toàn of Kép village (Chiềng Sinh commune) had to live in a makeshift, dilapidated house for many years. With support of VND 60 million from the local party committee, government, various organizations, and the joint efforts of her fellow villagers, Ms. Toàn’s dream of a safe, permanent home has become a reality. Ms. Toàn shared: “I am truly grateful for the care from the government and the people. With a sturdy house, my family will try our best to work and rise out of poverty sustainably.”

The work of poverty reduction, ensuring social security, and increasing income for the people has been a special focus for Điện Biên province. This has been done by specifying the policies of the Party, State, and Government through 32 decisions, 21 plans, and 48 documents urging the implementation of poverty reduction and social security efforts in the area. The province has coordinated with the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee to carry out fundraising campaigns and call for support for charity work, helping the poor and ensuring social security. Charitable activities and support for the poor are always integrated into the implementation of programs, projects, tasks, and activities at all levels and in all sectors.

From 2021 to the present, the Provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and the “For the Poor” Fund Mobilization Board have raised over VND 533 billion and implemented many practical activities to support the poor. From this fund, the entire province has newly built or repaired 9,819 “great unity houses” for policy-beneficiary families, people with meritorious service, and poor households. It has also presented 32,034 Tet gift packages, built 127 sanitation projects, and created livelihoods for 204 poor households. In addition, 6,297 disadvantaged students have received support, and many school buildings, classrooms, libraries, and clean water systems have been invested in, contributing to ensuring social security in the localities.

Implementing the emulation movement “Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses nationwide in 2025,” the Fatherland Front and other mass organizations in the province continue to promote communication and mobilize social resources, fostering a spirit of proactivity and creativity among their members in poverty reduction work. This creates conditions for poor and near-poor households to access capital for production and to rise out of poverty sustainably through specific, practical actions.

Through the synchronous implementation of the National Target Program for Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2021 - 2025 period, the province’s poverty rate has decreased by an average of 4% or more annually, with the poor districts seeing a reduction of 5.5% or more. Along with communication efforts, the province has proactively sought out resources and promoted the socialization of investment in essential socio-economic infrastructure to serve daily life, production, and create regional linkages. Thanks to this concentration of resources and creative methods, the face of rural and mountainous areas has seen many positive changes.

Along with major programs, the province has focused on policies to support livelihoods, vocational training, and job creation, helping people develop their household economies and achieve sustainable poverty reduction. Patriotic emulation movements and the “For the Poor - Leaving No One Behind” movement have been widely implemented, inspiring a spirit of solidarity and mutual support and spreading many good models and effective practices. Through these efforts, many families have received livelihood support, gradually changing their mindsets and ways of working, and proactively striving to build a prosperous life.

Thanks to the synchronous implementation of many solutions, the province’s poverty reduction work in recent years has achieved outstanding results. By the end of 2024, the province-wide poverty rate had decreased from 34.9% in 2021 to 21.29%, an average reduction of 4.53% per year, achieving 113.25% of the target. By 2025, the multidimensional poverty rate has continued to fall to 17.66%, with an average reduction of 3.97% per year; the poor districts alone have seen an average reduction of 5.5% per year.

These results reflect the effective and close guidance from party committees and authorities at all levels. They also demonstrate the policy of putting people at the center of development, aiming to improve the quality of life for all ethnic groups and creating an important premise for Điện Biên’s sustainable development, narrowing the development gap between regions, and gradually building a prosperous and happy life for people in remote and border areas.