Keng Du is located about 70km from the center of Ky Son district, mainly inhabited by the H’mong, Thai, and Kho Mu ethnic groups. Many years ago, the commune was known for its isolation, treacherous roads, and the people’s poor living standards.
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The Nghe An provincial Farmers’ Association and the Keng Du Border Post support local people with goats. |
Over time, thanks to the guidelines and policies of the Party, the State, local authorities, and the border guard force, Keng Du has gained access to the national power grid and telephone signals. More recently, a paved road connecting Muong Xen townlet in Ky Son district with Keng Du commune, is under construction. Now the central area of the commune is bustling, with dense population, sturdy houses standing close together, and many shops selling various household items, including clothes and televisions.
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The Keng Du Border Post provides pigs to poor families. |
The local people said that their today’s life is partly thanks to the support of border guard troops. For them, officers and soldiers of Keng Du Border Post have always been a reliable and solid support. Along with their border protection duties, the border guard troops have helped strengthen the local political system, assist local residents in economic development, hunger elimination, and poverty reduction.
To date, the Party Committee of Keng Du Border Guard Post has assigned five Party members to local Party cells in the border villages. These border guards have worked with local teams to disseminate the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies to locals and provided support to five disadvantaged students through the “paving the way to school for children” program. Also they have actively helped people repair and build homes and public infrastructure.
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Border guard officers help locals build homes. |
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Troops collaborate with the locals to repair inter-village roads. |
According to Luong Pho Chan, a local resident in Quyet Thang hamlet, Keng Du Border Post has provided many households with pigs, goats, and fruit trees and sent officers to guide the locals on animal husbandry and cultivation techniques to help them escape poverty. “The people really love the soldiers,” Chan said.
This economic development project has been conducted since 2015 under the initiative of the Nghe An provincial Farmers’ Association and the provincial Border Guard Command. Under this initiative, the Nghe An provincial Farmers’ Association provides funding for border posts to build pens and purchase and raise breeding sows for piglets. Based on this, each post is responsible for providing 20 piglets per year for local households. After nearly 10 years of implementing this project, the border posts under the Nghe An provincial Border Guard Command have provided thousands of pigs to help the people establish sustainable livelihoods and rise out of poverty. Keng Du Border Post is one of the successful units in carrying out this project.
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The Chain-of-command of Keng Du Border Post provides financial support and gifts to students under the unit’s care. |
According to Colonel Nguyen Ngoc, Political Commissar of Keng Du Border Post, along with protecting the border and maintaining peace in the area, the officers and soldiers of the unit clearly understand their responsibility to help the people develop household economy and fight poverty.
Translated by Tran Hoai