A So Defense-Economic area is located in the four communes of A Roang, Lam Dot, Dong Son and Huong Phong, A Luoi district. These are needy border communes with more than 85% of the population being ethnic minorities, while their lives are still hard with many unsound customs practiced.
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A young volunteer intellectual instructs local students during their study. |
Promoting their knowledge with wholeheartedness, young volunteer intellectuals of the defense-economic unit have stood side by side with the troops to disseminate information and mobilize local people to implement hunger eradication and poverty reduction projects, transfer scientific and technical applications, build sustainable household economy, and transform the crop and livestock structure, so as to gradually improve their lives. Accordingly, many hunger eradication and poverty reduction models have been built up and expanded, bringing practical results, such as: Intensive wet rice farming; growing ginger with cement bags; planting basil, lemongrass, and ginseng; and raising pigs, chickens, ducks, buffaloes, and cows, among others.
According to Can Tham from Ka Va village, Dong Son commune, last year, the defense-economic unit supported breeding cows, creating livelihoods for local households. Every week, young volunteer intellectuals provide local people with animal husbandry techniques, how to clean barns, and prevent diseases so that animals can grow well. “My family is very grateful for that and will try our best to work hard to escape poverty,” Tham added.
Meanwhile, young volunteer intellectuals also disseminated information to mobilize local people to follow the Party’s guidelines, and State’s laws and policies, while coordinating with local authorities to build great national unity, preserve and uphold the cultural identity and traditional values of the homeland, and erase unsound customs. Besides, they also carried out policy and gratitude work, and provided free health check-ups and medicines to local people. Especially, they worked with the Border Post of A Dot Border Gate under the Thua Thien Hue provincial Border Guard Command, and local youth unions, conducted dissemination work to raise local people’s awareness of national sovereignty in border areas, contributing to building a firm people’s heart posture, and enhancing trust of ethnic minority groups towards the Party and State.
Teacher Le Thi Hien, Vice Principal of A Luoi High School noted that over the past time, young volunteer intellectuals have boosted dissemination about the National Border Law, Law on Marriage and Family, Law on Military Service, among others, so as to raise students’ awareness of law observance, contributing to reducing child marriage.
They were also active in the implementation of “Troops paving the way to school for children,” helped students during their study, and coordinated with local authorities to encourage children to go to school, so as to eliminate illiteracy.
In addition to socio-economic development, young volunteer intellectuals also organized sports and cultural exchange, creating a joyful atmosphere and raising local youths’ and people’s spiritual life, contributing to building solidarity and creating a useful playground for local youths.
According to Political Commissar of Defense-Economic Unit 92, Senior Colonel Luu Duc Chinh, over the past two years, young volunteer intellectuals have connected the unit’s chains-of-command with local authorities and residents, contributing to changing the appearance of A So Defense-Economic area. Via the practical and meaningful activities, young volunteer intellectuals have made contribution to firmly protecting national sovereignty and border security.
Translated by Minh Anh