Focusing on poverty reduction, firmly entering the new era: Final episode - Arousing the will and aspiration to escape poverty

BHG - The goal of sustainable poverty reduction is not simply to reduce income poverty but is more multidimensional, covering areas such as: Employment, health, education, housing... Along with the effective implementation of poverty reduction policies of the Party and State, all levels and sectors continue to deploy flexible solutions, suitable to actual conditions to break the "inertia", the mentality of not wanting to escape poverty, and arouse the will and aspiration of the people to rise up.

Báo Hà Giang•02/05/2025

BHG - The goal of sustainable poverty reduction is not simply to reduce income poverty but is more multidimensional, covering areas such as: Employment, health,education , housing... Along with the effective implementation of poverty reduction policies of the Party and State, all levels and sectors continue to deploy flexible solutions, suitable to actual conditions to break the "inertia", the mentality of not wanting to escape poverty, and arouse the will and aspiration of the people to rise up.

Applications to escape poverty

In recent years, there have been applications in the province to be removed from the list of poor households. This is a completely voluntary decision by poor households who have received support policies from the State for many years. It is a choice that comes from self-respect, from the desire to give up opportunities to those who are more disadvantaged.

The effective livestock model of Mr. Giang Mi Mua (middle), Sung Thai commune (Yen Minh) - one of the households that voluntarily wrote a petition to escape poverty.

For Mr. Luong Cong Han's family, in Team 5 village, Ngoc Linh commune (Vi Xuyen), writing an application to escape poverty was the result of a responsible thinking process. He understood that his family had received attention from the Party and the State, and had been supported to eliminate temporary housing and develop the economy . When life became less difficult, in 2024, he decided to be the first person in the village to stand up and write an application to escape poverty. Mr. Han confided: As a retired soldier, I always keep in mind that as long as I am healthy, I can still work. Now my family is not as poor as before, so I feel I have to proactively apply to be removed from the poor household list to give support to families in more difficult situations.

Following Mr. Han's example, in 2024, 5 other families in Team 5 village also voluntarily wrote applications to escape poverty. Each person has a different situation, some have been seriously ill, some have young children, some have just escaped temporary, dilapidated houses... but all have the same reason for not wanting to "bear the name of a poor household" when they can develop their own economy. Ms. Tran Thi Thuy, Head of Team 5 village, was very happy when in just a short time, 6 households in the village voluntarily wrote applications to escape poverty. She shared: The applications to escape poverty are not just a matter of numbers, but more proud is that people have boldly changed their thinking and way of doing. They do not rely on support, but are self-aware and proactive in rising up. I believe that from the examples of the village, the spirit of self-reliance and overcoming difficulties will continue to spread throughout the area.

If in the past, many people wanted to recognize poor households as a "ticket" to receive state subsidies, today, in many highland villages, the story of escaping poverty has become a source of pride for everyone to follow. Notably, Mr. Hau Mi Na, Mong ethnic group, Na Poong village, Nam Ban commune (Meo Vac), in 2021, personally wrote an application to leave the poor household despite being in a particularly difficult situation. In addition to raising 3 young children to study, he and his wife also adopted 3 more grandchildren, the children of his brother who unfortunately passed away from a serious illness. Mr. Na shared: Although we know that asking to escape poverty will make life difficult in the short term, we are still young and have a long life, so we have to take care of our family. My husband and I discussed that we must strive to rise up, take advantage of available fields, grow crops, raise livestock, develop production, and create a stable source of income.

Quan Ba district leaders inspected the pear growing model in Xin Cai village, Nghia Thuan commune.

In early 2023, Mr. Giang Mi Mua, Hong Ngai A village, Sung Thai commune (Yen Minh) also boldly wrote an application to escape poverty thanks to the motivation of a 30 million VND loan from the mixed garden renovation program. From that source of capital, he invested in pig farms and breeding sows. After saving enough capital, Mr. Mua expanded his farming scale to 4 more beef cows, 300 pigeons and 30 honey beehives. As a result, from being the poorest household in the village, thanks to his will to rise up, Mr. Mua was able to build a new solid house, with an average income of about 180 million VND/year.

Applications for poverty alleviation are gradually being replicated in remote areas. This is not only a welcome sign for each household, but also reflects a strong change in the community's thinking. When people no longer wait or rely on support policies but proactively rise up with their own hands and minds, that is when poverty reduction truly goes into depth.

Ensuring 3 factors: Multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable

From the implementation of poverty reduction work in the period of 2022 - 2024, many creative and flexible ways of localities have emerged in supporting people to escape poverty sustainably and limit re-poverty. Vice Chairman of Meo Vac District People's Committee, Ngo Manh Cuong, said: The district focuses on periodically reviewing poor and near-poor households, grasping the developments of re-poverty households and newly emerging poor households to deploy timely support solutions. Strengthening guidance for households to borrow capital to develop production; transferring scientific and technical knowledge; supporting product consumption; vocational training associated with job creation. In particular, doing a good job of disseminating typical examples of poverty escape and households that voluntarily apply to escape poverty to arouse people's will and aspiration to rise up.

Mong ethnic women in Can Ty commune, Quan Ba create linen products, increasing their income.

In Yen Minh district, the highlight of poverty reduction work is assigning 100% of cadres, party members, civil servants and public employees to participate in supporting more than 1,300 poor households, directly going to each family to find out the causes of poverty and people's aspirations to have specific forms of assistance such as: Guiding households to access preferential credit sources to develop production; supporting plant varieties, livestock, production techniques; accessing vocational training policies, job creation...

By 2025, the whole province strives to reduce the multidimensional poverty rate by over 4.7% (reducing about 8,493 households), poor districts and extremely disadvantaged communes by over 6%. To achieve this goal, the Provincial People's Committee directs districts to focus on synchronously and effectively implementing projects and sub-projects under the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction. Speed up the implementation of socio-economic infrastructure projects, works serving people's lives, production, and essentials in the area. Focus on diversifying livelihoods, integrating support contents in the same project, creating sustainable income. Promote the development of linked production according to the value chain; develop products with potential and strengths.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Do Tan Son, said: To reduce poverty quickly and sustainably in the coming time, the sector has proactively advised the province to issue plans and programs with specific solutions. In particular, doing better propaganda work so that people can grasp the policies and support policies for poverty reduction of the Party and the State, thereby accessing them more easily and synchronously. Continuing to advise on integrating capital sources, programs and projects to effectively implement poverty reduction work. Promoting vocational training for workers in poor households, near-poor households, newly escaped poverty households, low-income workers; developing a model of linking vocational education with enterprises in and outside the province. At the same time, recommending the Central Government to continue supporting resources for Ha Giang to synchronously implement poverty reduction work; promoting decentralization and delegation of power to localities to be more proactive in deciding on specific and practical goals and tasks.

It is estimated that by the end of 2025, the multidimensional poverty rate of the province will remain high, accounting for about 31.6% (equivalent to more than 61,200 multidimensional poor households according to the poverty standard applied for the period 2022 - 2025); and 7/7 poor districts have a multidimensional poverty rate of over 45%. In addition to income poverty (average of less than 1.5 million VND/person/month), poor households also lack basic social services. It is expected that when the new poverty standard of the Government applied for the period 2026 - 2030 is issued, the poverty rate of the province will continue to increase.

Therefore, it is necessary to continue implementing poverty reduction work in a more practical and effective manner in a more inclusive and sustainable manner. In the process of implementing poverty reduction policies, it is necessary to ensure that they are suitable for each target group and each locality; focus on key investments, not spread out, and have specific poverty reduction policies for each difficult area, ethnic minority poor groups, and poor people who are social protection beneficiaries. Develop projects and models that are suitable to the actual natural conditions of each locality. Implement well the motto "The State and the people work together", implement publicity and democracy from the grassroots, promote the right to ownership and active participation of the people in implementing poverty reduction work.

Along with that, continue to shift from large-scale poverty reduction investment to in-depth poverty reduction, synchronously deploy poverty reduction programs and projects to ensure 3 factors: Multidimensional, inclusive and sustainable. Focus on direct investment in people, improve the capacity of the poor; clearly identify the causes of poverty to fundamentally and thoroughly solve existing problems. Along with that, implement the motto of "giving fishing rods and showing how to catch fish" so that disadvantaged people can stand firmly on their own feet.

It can be said that poverty reduction will not be successful if the poor themselves do not make efforts to rise up. Therefore, with the drastic participation of the entire political system, the poor and near-poor need to further promote their will to be self-reliant, self-reliant and their aspiration to escape poverty sustainably, contributing to building the northernmost borderland to become increasingly prosperous and beautiful, so that together with the whole country, they can firmly step into a new era - the era of national rise up.

Article and photos: PV GROUP