Chau Dien Commune (Cau Ke District, Tra Vinh Province) today is no longer a poor countryside as before. The straight concrete roads, spacious cultural houses, effective economic models, clean and beautiful landscapes... are clearly demonstrating a simple but profound rule: When the Party is close to the people, close to the people, for the people, the people believe, the people do and the people support. It is this resonance that has made this countryside shine with a new look, new life and new faith in the future.
From new roads...
Coming to Chau Dien on a day in June, the hot sun of early summer cannot overshadow the splendor of the countryside that is changing day by day. If anyone has ever known Chau Dien before - a place with muddy dirt roads, sparse houses, and difficult traffic, then today they will surely be surprised. The straight concrete roads, with colorful flowers on both sides; the neat houses interspersed with the green of gardens and fields... create a picture of a new rural area (NTM) full of vitality.
Not only did Chau Dien meet the NTM standards in 2019, by 2022 it would be an advanced NTM commune, but in 2024, it would also become a model NTM commune one year ahead of schedule. Sharing the "secret to success", Party Secretary Khuu Chi Cuong said that for a purely agricultural commune like Chau Dien, transportation is the "blood vessel" of economic and social life. However, before 2019, Chau Dien was famous for its "muddy alleys", vehicles could not go deep, and people often "suffered" every time the rainy season came. To get to the hamlets, the only way was to walk or wade through mud.
At the beginning of his term, the Party Secretary of the commune decided to choose a difficult and breakthrough task to create trust among the people. The 2km inter-village road in Tra Bon hamlet - a place that had been considered "impossible" for many years - was chosen as the starting point. "When I went to Tra Bon to meet the people, someone said frankly: If you can mobilize to build this road, I will believe in everything," said comrade Khuu Chi Cuong.
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The road in Xom Lon Hamlet, Chau Dien Commune is concreted and full of flowers, the result of the New Rural Program. |
The “challenge” turned into motivation. Comrade Khuu Chi Cuong understood clearly: “If we want people to trust us, cadres must not only talk but also dare to do and take responsibility”. So the entire political system of the commune took action. Cadres and party members went to the place to measure, mobilize, and call for socialization.
To gain people's trust and support, party members should maximize their pioneering and exemplary role. Mr. Huynh Cong Ha (born in 1956, 25 years in the Party) is a typical example. Without hesitation, he donated a total of 2,000 square meters of garden land three times to expand inter-hamlet and inter-commune roads. "I only dare to donate when I see the cadres doing real work, not just talking. We have land, they put in the effort, so the people must contribute," Mr. Ha confided.
The practical work of the officials changed the people's perspective - from skepticism to consensus, from waiting to proactive participation. Initially, only a few households responded, but later, many other households also voluntarily donated land, labor, and materials.
“When we saw that cadres and party members did not sit and direct from afar but directly stayed at the construction site, rolling up their sleeves, people believed and were ready to join hands. Skilled workers in the hamlet such as Thach Len, Ngo Thanh Son, Bui Luu Chuyen, and Ngo Tung Vinh, who were good workers and had only previously received hired work, volunteered to give up their working days to organize road construction. Young people became the core force in transporting materials, while women took care of logistics. Everyone considered road construction their own job,” said comrade Son Duong, Secretary of the Tra Bon Hamlet Party Cell.
Mr. Thach Quanh confided: “When I first heard about the road construction campaign, I was worried. The house is right next to the road, donating land means losing the fence, then the small hut. But seeing the hamlet officials even cut down old trees, leaving the land right next to the frontage to set an example, why wouldn’t I follow suit? Now the road is nice, vehicles can get in and out easily, and agricultural products can be sold at higher prices, I see that the decision was right!”
From one road, then two, three... completed roads, becoming a living proof of the spirit of "Party's will - people's heart". According to statistics, in the period of 2020-2025, with capital sources from the Central, province, district, commune and socialization, Chau Dien commune has built 1 asphalt road, 20 concrete roads and 24 rural traffic bridges, with a total length of 13.443km. Up to now, 100% of the main roads in the commune have been concreted or paved. Smooth traffic is the "key" to opening a series of new development doors.
... to new thinking and ways of doing things
What makes Chau Dien's special success is not only the results, but also the way of doing things that is imbued with the Party's spirit of "skillful mass mobilization". In achieving and exceeding the plan for the new rural areas, the Chau Dien Commune Party Committee determined that the people are not only the beneficiaries, but also the main subjects of this process. People's meetings are no longer a place for cadres to disseminate one-way information, but a place for people to speak, give opinions, and criticize. From there, each project and each work is linked to reality, linked to the real aspirations of the people. Commune cadres frankly admit their mistakes when there are errors or delays. Community monitoring teams have been promoted to help ensure publicity and transparency in all stages of implementation. Thanks to that, trust between the people and the government is nurtured every day.
Not only contributing to paving the way, the change in Chau Dien also originates from effective economic models, associated with the image of exemplary cadres and party members, working directly with the people, caring for the people. A special point is that all 8 party cell secretaries and heads of hamlet people's committees in Chau Dien are all good producers and businessmen, with prestige in the community. From their own success, they have become the most practical inspirations, leading people to change their thinking, boldly change their business direction, and gradually escape poverty.
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| The joy of Chau Dien commune people before a bumper orange season. |
Such is the case of party member Kim Thieng, Party cell secretary of Xom Lon hamlet. On low-yielding rice fields, he boldly switched to growing oranges and raising pigs. His annual income reached more than 300 million VND. Without keeping his own secrets, Thieng proactively guided people to apply and gradually expand the model. Thanks to that, many households, such as Mr. Thach Thanh's family, a previously poor household, have risen to stabilize their lives. "The cadres not only talk, but also work with the people, taking care of the output. Only when they see clear results will people believe and follow," Mr. Thanh shared.
Thanks to innovative thinking and appropriate approaches, Chau Dien commune has made a strong and comprehensive transformation. From a purely agricultural locality with many difficulties, by the end of 2024, Chau Dien had achieved an average income per capita of 80 million VND/year; the poverty rate decreased from 1.71% in 2020 to only 0.12%, reaching 130%, far exceeding the target set in the resolution.
No longer monotonous with rice, Chau Dien has formed a diverse production area, adapting to climate change. Many households have boldly converted to the organic VAC model, linking with businesses to ensure stable output, increase the value of agricultural products and long-term livelihoods. These results are not miracles, but the result of a process of accumulation, perseverance and innovation in thinking of the entire political system, especially the core leadership role of the Party cell and grassroots Party members. From road construction, livelihood conversion... there is a common denominator for success in Chau Dien: when the Party and people work together, believe together, and act together, all difficulties can be overcome.
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Article and photos : THUY AN - ANH MINH
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Source: https://baodaknong.vn/chau-dien-va-chuyen-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-bai-1-trai-ngot-tren-vung-dat-kho-257142.html
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