After merging Nà Bủng and Vàng Đán communes, the new Nà Bủng commune has 6 ethnic groups living together, with the Hmong ethnic group accounting for 96%. Socio-economic life is still difficult, with a high poverty rate (56.5%). As a highland area with a sparse, isolated population and little contact with the outside, the people’s educational level is limited. Furthermore, backward customs, practices, and low legal awareness have led to the persistence of child marriage in the commune.

Nguyễn Văn Tiếp, Chairman of the Nà Bủng commune People’s Committee, said: “The work of managing, preventing, and avoiding child marriage is an important task. Eliminating harmful customs and raising the people’s awareness and standard of living, especially for adolescents, regarding the Law on Marriage and Family, must be done regularly and synchronously. Immediately after stabilizing the two-level local government, the commune’s party committee and authorities launched programs and plans to mobilize and communicate, aiming to improve the people’s awareness, behavior, and legal understanding, thereby minimizing child marriage in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.”

Since the beginning of the year, Nà Bủng commune has organized 2 communication conferences at schools. The commune Women’s Union has held nearly 10 integrated communication sessions in villages and organized an expanded communication exchange program. Training activities to improve the professional capacity for officials and civil servants working on ethnic affairs and for legal communicators have also been carried out.

Vàng Thị Thiện, Deputy Chief of the commune People’s Council and People’s Committee Office, said: “After the merger, the commune has developed a plan and promoted communication efforts to reach every village and household. In the coming time, specialized forces will coordinate with village elders, chiefs, and reputable individuals to organize direct communication conferences in 11 villages. The content will focus on the negative consequences of child marriage on health, society, psychology, and the economy, thereby raising people’s awareness of legal compliance. At the same time, these conferences will disseminate information and mobilize people to sign commitments not to violate, and encourage the development of village cultural conventions that say no to child marriage and consanguineous marriage.”

In addition to traditional communication, to make knowledge about child marriage and consanguineous marriage more accessible and understandable, the commune organized a cultural exchange program at the Ham Xoong market fair, attracting over 1,000 people. The program included traditional performances and theatricalized content about child marriage. There was also a Q&A session with gifts for the audience members who answered questions about the Law on Marriage and Family correctly and quickly. This gentle, fun, cultural exchange format helps people grasp and remember information easily. For a difficult area like Nà Bủng, this is a new and effective communication method.

Tráng Thị Cú, 14, from Nộc Cốc 1 village, Nà Bủng commune, shared: “My friend and I went from Nộc Cốc to the Ham Xoong market fair. We saw the performance and stopped to watch. The program had a Q&A part, so I joined in. I answered the question about the legal marriage age for men and women correctly and received a gift. After participating, I remember a lot of useful knowledge that will be baggage for me to make the right choices later.”

From these activities, it can be seen that Nà Bủng commune has been decisive and flexible in implementing communication to raise awareness, gradually eliminate backward customs, and reduce child marriage and consanguineous marriage. It is believed that with the joint efforts of the party committee, government, and people, these problems in Nà Bủng will be minimized. This will, in turn, improve the quality of reproductive healthcare and create learning and working opportunities for the youth in the commune.