In 2021, the family of Non-commissioned Captain Tran Dinh Nhat, Deputy head of Team No.6 under Defense-Economic Unit 74, formed a twinning partnership with Bich’s family. Since then, the two families have treated each other like close relatives, supporting one another in economic development and child-rearing. Captain Nhat also helped Bich secure a job as a worker in the unit and guided him in mastering technical skills in rubber tapping, enabling him to become a skilled worker with a stable income.
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Twinned households under Defense-Economic Unit 74 regularly support each other in both work and daily life. |
Pham Thi Nguyet, wife of Captain Nhat, regularly guides Ksor Biang in farming and childcare. Biang shared that her life improved significantly through this bond, as Nhat’s family provides wholehearted support. Similarly, in Bia village, worker Tran Van Hai twinned with Ro Lan Binh, a Gia Rai ethnic resident, in 2016. Hai provided technical guidance, helping Binh transition from low-yield crops to cashew and coffee. Binh now earns over VND200 million annually and has built a permanent home.
Defense-Economic Unit 74 oversees 26 villages in Gia Lai province, where 16 ethnic groups reside and minorities exceed 50% of the population. Since 2006, the unit has pioneered the “Households’ connection” – “Close-knit twinning” model, pairing Kinh workers with ethnic minority families. This initiative has expanded to 416 households, providing mutual labor and technical support.
Senior Colonel Ha Van Nam, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Head of Defense-Economic Unit 74, noted that the model has helped 8,988 workers increase their average monthly income from VND2.2 million in 2006 to VND7 million by 2025. It has lifted 1,184 households out of poverty, with some now earning up to VND300 million annually.
Beyond economics, these households help disseminate Party guidelines and State policies. Since 2006, no participants have violated laws or engaged in illegal border crossings, strengthening regional security. This model has scaled across Corps 15 with 4,269 twinned pairs. Senior Colonel Ha Van Nam emphasized that the unit will continue refining this innovative mass mobilization approach to ensure long-term stability and prosperity in border areas.
Translated by Trung Thanh