Effective models launched
In 2018, Mai Van Phat in Rach Dua hamlet, Phu My commune, Giang Thanh district, Kien Giang province was supported with two breeding cows by Defense-Economic Unit 915. Having been well taken care of according to techniques given by the military unit, the cows gave birth to six calves. With proceedings from selling the calves, Phat’s family’s economy has not been difficult any more.
Established in 2015, Defense-Economic Unit 915 is tasked with cooperating with local party committees and authorities of two wards, eight communes in Giang Thanh and Kien Luong districts and Ha Tien city to stabilize local people’s life and develop local socio-economy.
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Young volunteer intellectuals of Defense-Economic Unit 959 teaching computing for students in the project area |
According to Senior Colonel Nguyen Xuan Huy, the unit’s Political Commissar, the unit in collaboration with localities in investment project areas yearly checks and classifies families to receive production assistance to help reduce poverty sustainably.
"Phat’s family is among thousands of households having received breeding cows from the unit since its inception," said Col. Huy, adding that other effective husbandry models have been carried out, contributing to local people’s improved life.
Founded in 2003 with the name Giong Gang Farm, Defense-Economic Unit 959, has changed a project area in Dong Thap province, which was abandoned land, heavily contaminated with alum, sparsely populated, and had no investment in electricity, roads, schools, or stations, into an area in which people's life has been improved, political security, social order and safety have been maintained. The project area covered 14 communes, one townlet in Tan Hong, Tam Nong and Hong Ngu districts, and Hong Ngu city.
Huynh Van Nha, Chairman of Tan Hong district People’s Committee spoke highly of activities that Defense-Economic Unit 959 has carried out to change the face of Tan Hong border area. He said that over 1,200 poor, near-poor, and new poverty-escaping households engaging in the unit’s project "Model of poverty reduction coupled with ensuring defense-security in defense-economic area" have been provided with new techniques, advanced models, plants, and domestic animals.
Changes in border areas
Living in Thanh Lap hamlet, Tan Cong Chi commune, Tan Hong district for more than 50 years now, Truong Thanh Nam shared that in the past his locality was badly hit by floodwater, particularly in September and October, resulting in locals’ losses of rice crops if they were not harvested in a timely manner. No bridges, or roads built hindered the travel of local people and students. Thanks to Defense-Economic Unit 959, new roads, bridges, irrigation system, canals have been built; new technological and scientific advances have been applied to production and cultivation.
Defense-economic units 959 and 915 have also given recommendations to higher levels in Military Region 9 and Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces to mobilize capital to tap the potential of the project areas.
Many effective structures in Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces with support from the two defense-economic units have helped many communes in project areas meet the standard of a new-style rural area.
Notably, with their youth, vanguard spirit, enthusiasm, and creativity, young volunteer intellectuals from these units have helped set up agri-forestry cooperatives, instructed locals on how to keep plants and animals from diseases, opened free foreign language and computer classes for poor students, encouraged children to go to school and provided free health check-ups and medicines for local people, among others.
Colonel Tran Quang Thanh, Second-in-Command of Defense-Economic Unit 915, gave an example that with instructions and techniques from the young intellectuals, local farmers know how to choose high-quality fry, bringing about high economic efficiency.
Nowadays, visiting border areas in Kien Giang and Dong Thap provinces, those who have been there before can feel positive changes there when eye-witnessing ripe rice fields, residential areas, schools, medical facilities, roads and others.
Today's changes of these localities are the results of the joint efforts and contribution of cadres, troops, and young volunteer intellectuals of defense-economic units 959 and 915.
Translated by Mai Huong