For years, BGF personnel have become familiar, trusted figures in border areas. Driven by duty and compassion, these soldiers not only safeguard national sovereignty and security but also actively support economic development and poverty reduction.

Huổi Vang village is home to more than 100 households with over 610 residents, most of whom rely on agriculture for their livelihood and still face many hardships. However, with the support of border guard officers and soldiers, living conditions in the village have gradually improved. Following the “three stays, four togethers” approach, they have remained deeply engaged at the grassroots level, helping locals stabilize their lives, providing guidance on animal husbandry and crop cultivation, and supporting the development of effective economic models.

Mùa A Tráng, a Huổi Vang resident, shared: “Since we settled here, border guards have taught us laws and farming skills. Many families now raise poultry, pigs, and fish, lifting their lives significantly.”

Under the “Helping children to school - Border guard adoptions” program, BGF units sponsor 80 students (VND 500,000 /month each) and foster 26 children, ensuring their education and care. Military medical teams, in coordination with local healthcare units, organized 168 public health education sessions on disease prevention, reaching over 7,200 people. They also provided free medical check-ups and medicine to 1,866 residents, with a total value of VND 309 million; administered expanded immunization to 3,115 individuals; and participated in 114 disease prevention and control campaigns across border districts, helping improve community health and strengthen public trust in the border guard force.

Lò Văn May, a resident of Na Cọ village in Mường Nhà commune, shared emotionally: “My family is poor, and we live far from medical centers, so we rarely have the chance to get proper check-ups. Thanks to the border guards organizing free health screenings and distributing medicine right here in our village, my neighbors and I no longer have to worry when we get sick. The soldiers examine us thoroughly and give caring advice, just like family. I’m truly grateful and hope they stay healthy so they can continue helping poor people like us.”

As part of the “Clever mass mobilization” campaign, Điện Biên’s border guard units have launched and expanded a number of exemplary, effective grassroots initiatives that have strengthened local political systems, improved livelihoods, and helped safeguard national sovereignty and border security. Over the past five years, border guard units have worked closely with local authorities and schools along the border to encourage dropouts to return to class, support adult literacy, and provide practical assistance to underprivileged students and policy-beneficiary families.

BGF units have contributed over 12,300 workdays to help local residents with farming and production; coordinated the construction and repair of 438.3 kilometers of village roads and 61.65 kilometers of irrigation canals; and assisted in repairing or building 366 homes and 13 wooden or concrete bridges, helping lift 855 households out of poverty. In partnership with the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front and Women’s Union, the units have delivered 5,932 gift packages, 22,619 traditional bánh chưng cakes, 708 national flags, and 502 portraits of President Hồ Chí Minh to respected village elders, community leaders, and disadvantaged households in border areas as part of the “Spring at the border - Warming hearts of villagers” campaign, totaling more than VND 2.7 billion in value.

Since 2019, BGF units have implemented the “Soldier’s rice jar” program, in which each officer donates a bowl of rice from their daily rations. The collected rice is then distributed to families in especially difficult circumstances, lonely elders, and orphaned children living in remote border areas. Additionally, the “Green beret teachers” initiative has launched 18 literacy and primary education classes, with hundreds of students, currently maintaining seven active classes with 138 learners. These mass mobilization efforts have significantly strengthened the bond between soldiers and civilians, reinforcing the people’s trust and building a firm “people’s defense posture” at the nation’s borders.

Senior Colonel Nhâm Văn Mạnh, Political Commissar of the provincial Border Guard Command, emphasized that five years of carrying out grassroots outreach and the “Clever mass mobilization” campaign have affirmed the leadership role of the Party committees and local authorities, as well as the close cooperation among various sectors and forces across the province. Dissemination and education efforts have raised awareness among ethnic minorities in border regions, reinforced their trust in the Party’s leadership and the nation’s reform path, and increased their vigilance against “peaceful evolution” plots by hostile forces. Solidarity and friendship with authorities and people in neighboring countries as well as unity among ethnic groups in border areas have been further strengthened.

Mass mobilization work has brought tangible improvements to local living standards, gradually reducing poverty and improving both material and spiritual well-being. In particular, as the province implements administrative streamlining across two levels of local government, border guards’ outreach has helped foster public consensus, reinforce grassroots unity, and effectively support the restructuring of the government apparatus, enhancing management efficiency and maintaining border security.

The practical and often quiet contributions of border guard officers have not only improved the lives of ethnic communities but also deepened the close-knit relationship between the military and the people. Through this bond, trust in the Party and State continues to grow, laying a strong foundation for an all-people national defense posture and the protection of border sovereignty in today’s context.