DakNong (VNA) – The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong will grant nearly470 tonnes of rice to students and high schools of villages and communes strugglingagainst extreme difficulties for the 2017-2018academic year. 

Thedecision was signed by a leader of the provincial People’s Committee on March5.

Accordingly,nearly 7,700 students will receive rice aid of 15kg per month for four months,mostly in Dak G’Long and Tuy Duc districts.

HoangDinh Truong, Rector of Nguyen Du secondary school in Tuy Duc district, said 29students in the school will benefit from the activity which will encourage themto overcome difficulties.

The provincialDepartment of Education and Training is partnering with the Department of StateReserves for the south Central Highlands, authorities of 8 districts andcommunes and schools in the effort.

In 2017, Dak Nong spent nearly 52 billion VND (2.33 millionUSD) on poverty reduction, helping bring the poverty rate among localhouseholds down by 2.63 percent from 2016 to 16.57 percent.

Inparticular, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities dropped by 9.34 percent.

Asof the end of 2017, the province counted 25,114 households with 112,150 personsliving under the poverty line.

ViceChairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Ton Thi Ngoc Hanh said, besideseffectively implementing the Government’s policies, the province launchednumerous policies and programmes to support needy students, households,particularly those of ethnic minority groups.

Specialattention was paid to vocational training, housing, health insurance, cleanwater supply and education for minority ethnic groups, thus raising the livingcondition of local residents, while facilitating their access to State andcommunity resources for economic development.

In2018, the province aims to reduce the poor household rate by at least 2percent, and by 3 percent among ethnic minority groups, in line with themultidimensional poverty standards.-VNA