Bring happiness to the poor in the Northwest

(VBSP News) Dien Bien - the heroic land, inheriting the revolutionary tradition, authorities and the people of all ethnic groups in Dien Bien province has always united to overcome consequences of the war. From a battleground of bullets, barbed wire, Dien Bien now has changed and integrated strongly to the country development with companion of social policy credit.

Mr. Ly Van Ten's family in Na Khoa commune, Nam Po district borrowed 30 million VND to invest in breeding buffalo

In recent years, VBSP Dien Bien has increased its credit investments to meet demand for sustainable poverty reduction programs, directly involved in implementation of local socio-economic development plan, contributing to significantly exploit advantages of high mountainous border.

A review of policy credit during 15 years of operation in Dien Bien province has confirmed that with 18 preferential credit programs for various type of borrowers, social policy credits has contributed to boost development of Dien Bien province's economy with average annual GDP growth rate of over 9% and positive structure changes. Many effective production and livestock models using loans have been replicated. Poverty rate has decreased by 4 to 5% on average, and people's living standard has been improved remarkably. Policy credit contributed to creating jobs, improving living standards, changing awareness, ways of doing business for over 334 thousand poor households and other beneficiaries; over 115,000 new jobs were created; over 21,000 disadvantaged students had access to loans, nearly 16,000 water supply and sanitation facilities were built in rural areas, more than 13,000 stable houses were built on the border in accordance with Decision 167 and 33 of the Prime Minister.

The result reflects high endeavor of VBSP Dien Bien in mobilizing financial resources, effectively implementating the unique policy credit management; involvement of mass organizations, both as social supervisors and entrusted with some of the lending activities whih facilitated publicity and democratization of the policy credit in the community.

Besides, policy credit officers in the highland border of Dien Bien did not mind difficulties in the area with many high passes, deep streams to persistently bringing policy credit of the State to the poor and policy beneficiaries in due time. At present, most poor households near poor households and just escaped from poverty households from Muong Thanh fields to the remote Muong Nhe and Nam Po districts can easy access to preferential credit.

During the trip back to the Northwest, we witnessed operation of local VBSP at Na Khoa Commune in Nam Po district, about 180km from Dien Bien. In the midst of the communal hall of Commune People's Committee, members of the Commune Transaction Team prepare equipments for the transaction. New policies, regulations on policy credit as well as outstanding loans of customers were also publicized for people to know and monitor. Head of the Savings and Credit group in Na Khoa 1, Kà Thị Mừng said: "Thanks to VBSP's transaction offices located in communes, ethnic minority people have received preferential loans quickly and conveniently. Currently, the SCG of the village has 53 members, with an outstanding balance of VND 1.9 billion. Loans are invested in production of hybrid maize, clean tea, and raising buffaloes. As a result, many households escaped from poverty, built new homes, and bought pickup trucks. "

A typical example is the family of Mrs. Ka Thi Them, who is head of a poor household in Na Khoa 1. She borrowed a loan from VBSP to raise reproductive buffaloes. By 2015, she finished repayment as escaping from porverty. In 2018, she got another VND 50 million loan from the just escape from poverty program which she would invest in expanding breeding model, plant more aromatic rice and hybrid maize to quickly escape poverty sustainably.

Another case is Giang Quan Te’s family, a Mong family in Huoi Ngan village, Na Khoa commune, Nam Po district who have chosen his own way to become a typical example of escaping from poverty sustainable thanks to policy credit in Na Khoa. With a loan of VND 40 million from poor household credit program, he decided to set up a goat farm in a canyon. Unlike the traditional way of freeing cattle outside upland fields, Mr. Te and his wife Thao Thi Van decided to spent part of the loan to buy material to make stable cage for goat farming. Thanks to "cool hands" and actively carry out disease prevention, good care, healthy goats growing up to 300 goats, helping his family pay off bank loans rapidly and earn profit to build a new firm house. “After the Lunar New Year, my family got a VND 50 million loan from the production and business in disadvantaged areas program to expand breeding facilities and carry out industrial breeding. We determine to "raise" to contribute more agricultural products to the market" Giang Quan Te excitedly said.

Breeding model of Giang Quan Te family

For preferential credit to reach people conveniently and effectively, VBSP Dien Bien province will continue to consolidate and improve the quality of its activities to strive for success by 2020 and the next years so that 100% of of poor households, near poor households and other policy beneficiaries can have access to preferential loans; Integrate loans with technical assistance and technology transfer, aiming to reduce poverty quickly and sustainably and ensure social security on the Northwestern border of the country.

Xuan Du