The project ends, hardships begin

In 2007, the Tân Quang Youth Settlement Village Project was approved and launched in Na Tông commune. The project's objective was to attract young people from the province to settle and start their own businesses, with the hope that their energy and enthusiasm would help revitalize the impoverished land of Na Tông. It aimed to establish a model rural community with a sustainable economy and an advanced, civilized cultural and social life.

After registration and selection, the project identified 50 participating households, mostly youth (around 30 years old) with education and military service backgrounds. These individuals were primarily from Na Tông, with some from Noong Luống, Mường Nhà (Điện Biên district), and Na Son (Điện Biên Đông district). Fifty houses were built for the settlers, along with investments in electric lighting systems, water supply tanks, and other infrastructure. Each household was allocated 5,000 square meters of farmland, including over 1,000 square meters of paddy fields, with the remainder being upland fields.

However, initial excitement and optimism gradually gave way to disappointment. The houses were barely 50 square meters in size with a weak structure, offering little assurance to residents. Recalling the hardships, Lò Văn Hả shared: “The project-built houses were small and had weak frames. Over time, the termites ate away at the structure. Whenever it rained or got windy, we feared they would collapse. My family had to take out loans to rebuild. Once we had a stable home, we were left with debts!”

After nearly 10 years in the original project house, Tòng Văn Thưởng had to construct a new stilt house to provide a stable living space for his four-member family. To afford the materials, he had to sell his only buffalo and take out additional loans.

“When I first moved in, I borrowed VND 15 million from the bank to buy a buffalo. After raising it for several years, I sold it to finance the construction of a new house. The project house had deteriorated and was no longer suitable for daily living,” he explained.

Once the project had fulfilled its initial mission by completing infrastructure and providing production resources, a wave of new challenges emerged for the residents of Tân Quang. Settling in was difficult, but making a living was even harder. As a result, life in the village stagnated. Investments in infrastructure and agricultural production did not yield sustainable results.

The allocated paddy fields lacked irrigation, and the irrigation system failed to meet demands. The upland fields became increasingly barren, forcing villagers to switch from growing maize to cassava. However, when harvest seasons arrived, the low productivity and efficiency of these crops left farmers without sufficient capital to reinvest. Within just a few years, some families abandoned the village, returning to their hometowns or seeking livelihoods elsewhere. The village population dwindled to just over 30 households, with numerous abandoned houses scattered around the area.

In response to these struggles, local leaders in Na Tông commune submitted multiple proposals and raised concerns regarding the difficulties faced by the Tân Quang Youth Settlement Village. At one point, the local government introduced new agricultural projects, such as coffee cultivation. However, water shortages remained unresolved, and farming was heavily dependent on natural conditions, rendering these initiatives ineffective. Eventually, residents reverted to traditional cassava cultivation, which had unpredictable yields.

The land cannot sustain its people

Living in the village but seeking livelihoods elsewhere has become the norm in Tân Quang for many years. The fundamental reason is simple: the land cannot sustain its people.

Tòng Văn Thưởng remarked: “There are now fewer than 10 households from the original project still living here. Most of the others have either returned to their hometowns or sold their land and moved elsewhere. The name “Tân Quang hamlet” no longer exists, as it has merged with Na Ổ hamlet. The Youth Settlement Village has essentially been erased!”

Thưởng’s family had no choice but to stay because they had nowhere else to go. In some ways, they were more fortunate than others as his parents gave him nearly 2,000 square meters of rice fields in Na Ổ hamlet. However, these fields could only support one crop per year, leaving the family without enough rice to sustain themselves. The upland fields had become barren after years of farming. Last year’s cassava harvest earned VND 20 million, which was spent entirely on his child’s university education. This year’s yield was poor, bringing in less than VND 5 million.

After years of investing his youth in the settlement project, Thưởng now has to seek daily wage labor in neighboring hamlets, working as a bricklayer, house builder, and cassava planter. His wife has migrated to the lowland provinces to find work. Together, they barely make VND 4 million per month, just enough to support their two children’s education.

Even more burdened than Thưởng, Thào A Sênh and his wife must care for his elderly mother and three school-aged children, making their struggle even greater. Although his household received full land allocations, soil depletion rendered harvests insufficient to feed the family. As a result, Sênh was forced to rent himself out as a laborer, working in Pom Lót commune, over 20 kilometers away.

“Depending on my health each year, I take on contracts to farm about 5,000 to 6,000 square meters of rice fields just to have enough food for my family. Every day, I wake up early and return home late at night. During the harvest, the landowners take 120 to 150 kilograms of rice per 1,000 square meters, leaving me with the remainder. In good years, we have enough to eat. In bad years, I have to borrow from one place to pay off another,” held Sênh.

After many years, the dream of a model rural community has not materialized. Instead, the Youth Settlement Village has all but disappeared. Meanwhile, those who remain struggle daily to make a living long past their youthful years.