Policy comes into life, highland changes

From housing and domestic water support to production development, infrastructure construction, health care and cultural preservation, the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2025 period (Program 1719) has brought about remarkable results. These results have contributed to creating sustainable changes for people in the northern region of Thai Nguyen province.

Implementing Program 1719, Tan Ky commune has invested in many infrastructure projects, people's lives have gradually improved.

One of the highlights of Program 1719 is to address the shortage of residential land, housing, production land and domestic water for the people. From 2022 to present, the Program has supported 1,155 households to build new houses; built 57 centralized domestic water works to serve 4,659 households; and supported 2,326 households to install water tanks.

Along with that, people have access to new production methods, aiming at sustainable poverty reduction, with more than 370 households equipped with machinery and agricultural tools to convert occupations and 303 production development projects, including 65 value chain linkage projects.

Thanks to that, thousands of households have boldly transformed the structure of crops and livestock, applied technical advances and formed concentrated commodity production areas.

In addition, the policy of supporting forest protection and development has also brought about remarkable results. Nearly 59,000 hectares of forest have been assigned to communities and households for management and protection, both maintaining forest cover and creating stable income for people. The program has also subsidized nearly 324 tons of rice for more than 2,000 households participating in forest protection, ensuring their livelihoods during the process of forest protection, planting and care.

Ms. Hoang Thi Mui, Cam Giang commune, shared: Since participating in forest protection, we have both rice to eat and additional income from the contract. People clearly see the value of the forest and voluntarily protect it.

Another clear change is that essential infrastructure has received investment attention, with 1,031 infrastructure works being built, such as: roads, irrigation works, cultural houses, schools, medical stations; of which more than 90% are implemented according to special mechanisms, promoting community initiative.

Many projects, after completion, quickly brought into play very positive values, meeting people's needs and serving production.

In particular, the investment in 553 rural roads has helped people travel conveniently, and agricultural products have access to the market. Along with that, 239 irrigation works put into operation have ensured water sources for agricultural production.

Many localities, thanks to synchronous infrastructure, have completed additional new rural criteria.

Comrade Duong Ngoc Thuyet, Secretary of the Cho Ra Commune Party Committee, said: Infrastructure projects are the premise for economic , cultural, educational and health development. Each road, each clean water project or new school contributes to narrowing the development gap between the mountainous and lowland areas.

Along with infrastructure investment, Program 1719 also focuses on improving the quality of education, vocational training and health care for the people.

During this period, 350 vocational training classes were organized for more than 15,000 students; at the same time, 399 ethnic minority workers were supported to work abroad for a limited period, opening up opportunities to increase income and accumulate experience.

Ethnic education has also recorded important progress. 25 school projects have been invested in construction; 90 ethnic boarding schools, semi-boarding schools and secondary schools with semi-boarding students have been equipped with facilities for digital transformation, creating conditions for online teaching and learning.

Training class on teaching intangible culture in Bang Thanh commune was organized with funding from Program 1719.

At the same time, 150 literacy classes attracted more than 3,600 participants, helping many people in disadvantaged areas continue to study and access new knowledge. In the health sector, through support policies, people have access to modern health care services, contributing to improving physical and mental health, stature and longevity.

The program also focuses resources on preserving and promoting national cultural identity associated with tourism development.

Accordingly, 340 traditional cultural heritages have been inventoried and collected; 36 cultural and sports facilities have been built, and hundreds of village cultural houses have been supported with equipment. Many cultural values ​​of the Tay, Nung, Dao, Mong ethnic groups have been restored, becoming attractive highlights for tourists.

In addition, 381 community media groups and 11 women-led livelihood models have raised awareness of gender equality and reduced prejudice in families and communities. These models not only help women confidently start their own businesses, but also create jobs and increase income for many families.

Sharing about the effectiveness of the Program, Ms. Hoang Thi Lich, Head of Coc Cang Village, Xuan Duong Commune, said: Never before have people in the village enjoyed so many practical policies. From village roads, cultural houses to housing, and domestic water, all received investment support. People are excited and have more confidence in the policies of the Party and State.

Reality shows that the 1719 Program implemented in recent times has not only met immediate needs but also created a foundation for long-term development for ethnic minorities. The synchronization in production support, infrastructure construction, social security care and cultural preservation has become a key factor, helping the localities in the Northern region continue to make breakthroughs, shortening the gap with the Southern region of Thai Nguyen province in the next period.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/kinh-te/202509/chinh-sach-di-vao-cuoc-song-vung-cao-chuyen-minh-03d0349/