Lo Thi Quyen in her farm (Photo: danviet.vn) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A series of bank loans are helping Kho Mu ethnicminority people in Xop Chao village in the central province of Nghe An, toescape poverty.
XopChao in Luong Minh commune is a poor area with no roads, no electricityand no telephone network, in Tuong Duong border district.
Atotal of 109 households with 457 Kho Mu ethnic people on a natural land area of6,972 hectares live in the village.
Inrecent years, policy banks have tried to bring credit capital to help localpeople develop production and overcome poverty.
Villageelder, Lo Tan Dao, 80, said: "Compared to the hard life in the past, thepeople's lives today are better. Children have been going to school fromprimary to high school.”
"Before1960, people lacked rice for six months a year, and lived only by diggingsweet potatoes and cassava in the forest."
Since1960, the State’s ethnic minority area support policies have aided remoteregions liked Xop Chao to help local improve people's lives.
"Butethnic minority people's thinking cannot be changed immediately, partlybecause of customs, and they do not have money or know how to dobusiness, while there is almost no trade here, which local people are not eagerto," said Dao.
Theonly way to reach the village is by motorboat across the Nam Non River. It takesabout 40 minutes from the wharf of the Ban Ve Hydroelectric dam.
DeputyDirector of the Nghe An Provincial Bank for Social Policy Nguyen Van Vinhsaid that the Social Policy Bank paid special attention tomountainous and remote areas, especially those with a large number of ethnicminorities such as Xop Chao.
"Thebank ensures that families with real needs and suitable conditions can accesscredit," Vinh said.
Thebank also realises that coordination with local authorities to educatelocal people and changing bad habits and old production methodsis key to reducing poverty.
Thefirst loans, 5 million VND each (with no interest), from the bank helpedmany families buy cattle and develop effective livestock, said the head of XopChao, Lo Van Hung.
"Manyhouseholds now have capital for production and business to improve familyincome and afford children's education," he said.
LoThi Quyen, a 30-year-old local woman, said that she and her husband got marriedwith no money, and quickly decided to take a loan to raise cattle.
Afterthe first loan of 5 million VND two years ago, she borrowed afurther 80 million VND to develop a herd of 20 cows and buffaloes.
Shehas just spent 80 million VND from selling cows to repair her house and iscurrently raising 13 buffaloes and cows.
“Lifeis much better now. We are very happy to have a new house," Lo ThiQuyen said.
Thebank has given loans to 76 households in Xop Chao, with the value of 2.8billion VND so far.
“People'slives have gradually been stabilised, the current per capita income isestimated at VNĐ8 -10 million per person, per year,“ village leader Lo Van Hungsaid.
“Thenumber of households doing good production is increasing, so the number of poorhouseholds reduces.”
NguyenVan Hai, Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee,said: "The biggest achievement from the bank's credit loan policy isto change the thinking and production form of ethnic minorities."
"Whenpeople's thoughts change, they will know how to build the will to beself-reliant to get out of poverty, which is the premise to open up abrighter future for them."
XopChao is among the remote areas of Nghe An's ongoing rural powersupply project that was approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“It’sexpected that the village will access nation grid electricity soon,” saidHai./.
XopChao in Luong Minh commune is a poor area with no roads, no electricityand no telephone network, in Tuong Duong border district.
Atotal of 109 households with 457 Kho Mu ethnic people on a natural land area of6,972 hectares live in the village.
Inrecent years, policy banks have tried to bring credit capital to help localpeople develop production and overcome poverty.
Villageelder, Lo Tan Dao, 80, said: "Compared to the hard life in the past, thepeople's lives today are better. Children have been going to school fromprimary to high school.”
"Before1960, people lacked rice for six months a year, and lived only by diggingsweet potatoes and cassava in the forest."
Since1960, the State’s ethnic minority area support policies have aided remoteregions liked Xop Chao to help local improve people's lives.
"Butethnic minority people's thinking cannot be changed immediately, partlybecause of customs, and they do not have money or know how to dobusiness, while there is almost no trade here, which local people are not eagerto," said Dao.
Theonly way to reach the village is by motorboat across the Nam Non River. It takesabout 40 minutes from the wharf of the Ban Ve Hydroelectric dam.
DeputyDirector of the Nghe An Provincial Bank for Social Policy Nguyen Van Vinhsaid that the Social Policy Bank paid special attention tomountainous and remote areas, especially those with a large number of ethnicminorities such as Xop Chao.
"Thebank ensures that families with real needs and suitable conditions can accesscredit," Vinh said.
Thebank also realises that coordination with local authorities to educatelocal people and changing bad habits and old production methodsis key to reducing poverty.
Thefirst loans, 5 million VND each (with no interest), from the bank helpedmany families buy cattle and develop effective livestock, said the head of XopChao, Lo Van Hung.
"Manyhouseholds now have capital for production and business to improve familyincome and afford children's education," he said.
LoThi Quyen, a 30-year-old local woman, said that she and her husband got marriedwith no money, and quickly decided to take a loan to raise cattle.
Afterthe first loan of 5 million VND two years ago, she borrowed afurther 80 million VND to develop a herd of 20 cows and buffaloes.
Shehas just spent 80 million VND from selling cows to repair her house and iscurrently raising 13 buffaloes and cows.
“Lifeis much better now. We are very happy to have a new house," Lo ThiQuyen said.
Thebank has given loans to 76 households in Xop Chao, with the value of 2.8billion VND so far.
“People'slives have gradually been stabilised, the current per capita income isestimated at VNĐ8 -10 million per person, per year,“ village leader Lo Van Hungsaid.
“Thenumber of households doing good production is increasing, so the number of poorhouseholds reduces.”
NguyenVan Hai, Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee,said: "The biggest achievement from the bank's credit loan policy isto change the thinking and production form of ethnic minorities."
"Whenpeople's thoughts change, they will know how to build the will to beself-reliant to get out of poverty, which is the premise to open up abrighter future for them."
XopChao is among the remote areas of Nghe An's ongoing rural powersupply project that was approved by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
“It’sexpected that the village will access nation grid electricity soon,” saidHai./.
VNA
