In fact, they are the ones to connect Defense Economic Unit 326 and the local Party committees, authorities and people in the border area.
In Sop Cop district, ethnic minorities account for 96.7% of the population. Apart from education gaps, local people are still practicing backward customs and enjoying low living standards. The Party Committee and chain-of-command Defense Economic Unit 326 agreed that it is necessary to promote the role of village heads and influencers in hunger eradication and poverty reduction, raising local people’s awareness and eliminating backward customs.
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Defense Economic Unit 326 staff guiding village heads and influencers on cultivation techniques |
Thai people in the district were joyful and excited when the 14-km road from Huoi Hin to Huoi Co Puc in Keo Hin village of Pung Banh commune, Sop Cop district was upgraded.
“This road is the token of the close ties between soldiers and civilians. Local people donated land while the military unit invested, expanded and upgraded the road. The road will contribute to socio-economic development, national defense and security assurance, and serve to improve people’s living standards,” said Chairman of Pung Banh Commune People’s Committee Tong Van Nghich.
Lo Van Doi, Secretary of the Party Cell of Keo Hin Village (Pung Banh commune), has made a great contribution to the land clearance for the road. As people thought that road construction was the authorities’ responsibility, it was hard to clear the ground for the construction. To reach consensus, Lo Van Doi organized meetings to persuade and persistently explained to locals about the benefits of land donation.
Thanks to his effort, 30 households voluntarily donated more than 2,000 sq.m of land. Others enthusiastically spent days clearing the ground. All of them were very excited to contribute to the new road.
Lo Van Chien, Secretary of the Party Cell and Head of Na Lua village was praised by locals for wholeheartedly connecting the local Party Committee and authorities and villagers.
According to Na Lua villagers, Lo Van Chien assisted all disadvantaged families. He and local officials and members of the Production and Political Base Construction Team 2 of Defense Economic Unit 326 instructed locals on animal husbandry and cultivation; advised people to apply for jobs in industrial parks. In 2021, Chien along with other agencies and mass organizations in Muong Va commune mobilized 35 people to work in industrial parks, helping lift them out of poverty and boost their living standards.
Muong Va commune is gradually meeting the criteria for a new-style rural area. Lo Van Chien has recently persuaded more than 40 households in Na Lua village to voluntarily donate over 6,000 sq.m of land for constructing rural roads. He also did well in admitting more members to the Party as he guided two people in Na Lua to join the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2021.
“Of 106 villages of our district, there are 210 village heads and influencers,” said Quang Van Chieng, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Sop Cop district. This is a very important force that assists the locality in carrying out the tasks of socio-economic development, national defense and security assurance, playing a key role in the reconciliation of disputes. In 2021, they successfully conciliated 87% of all disputes, reducing the number of complaints and achieving mass consensus among residents.
Sop Cop district Party Committee and administration also regularly pay attention to the material and spiritual life of the village heads and influencers. On an annual basis, the district’s Agriculture and Rural Development Division collaborates closely with Defense Economic Unit 326 to open training courses on cultivation techniques for village heads and influencers to learn from experience, help them reduce poverty and stabilize their life.
Translated by Minh Hieu - Khanh Linh - Chi Cuong - Thu Ha