Mr. Song A Mang (born in 1971) is a respected figure in Cao A village, Lang Chieu commune.Bac Yen districtHis actions have made a significant contribution to the fight against poverty in the mountainous region of Bac Yen.

Elected as a respected figure by the people since 2015, Mr. Song A Mang, from Cao A village, Lang Chieu commune, Bac Yen district, considers it a great honor and responsibility to contribute to the development of the locality. Not only does he propagate and encourage the people in his village to comply well with the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws, but he also pioneers in economic development, helping the people change their mindset and methods in labor and production to improve work efficiency, increase income, and improve their lives.

Mr. Song A Mang shared: "To gain the trust and emulation of the people, my words must be matched by my actions. I must be a pioneer in implementing these principles so that the people will see and follow. To serve the production needs of my family and the people in the village, I have invested in building a 200m2 processing workshop; two hawthorn fruit drying machines, and a system for producing starch and cassava vermicelli. Every year, I also purchase about 300 tons of hawthorn fruit and over 1,200 tons of cassava from the people in the commune; earning more than 800 million VND/year; creating regular jobs for 15 local laborers, with incomes ranging from 9-12 million VND/month."

Twenty years ago, reaching Cheu Village required traversing dozens of kilometers of forest. The difficult transportation meant that the lives of the Hmong people were confined to the towering Ta Xua mountain range. Back then, Mr. Mang's family grew corn and ginger… Every harvest season, the Hmong people diligently and patiently carried their produce to the main road to sell to traders. The trail from the village and production area to the main road was 5 kilometers long. People traveled barefoot. The agricultural products were transported back to the village or sold elsewhere on the villagers' shoulders. Mr. Mang also experienced those hardships, but he had a bigger vision.

Mr. Mang had been contemplating this idea for many years. During village meetings, he discussed the road construction with the villagers. At the time, many disagreed with his approach. They argued that building a 4-meter-wide road across the mountain slopes would require immense effort and be beyond human capacity. Furthermore, the road would pass through the farmland of many households. Some families openly opposed the project, absolutely refusing to donate their land. Despite these difficulties, Mr. Mang remained resolute in his determination to complete the road. A larger road leading to the production area would improve the lives of the people. They would no longer have to toil under the sun and rain carrying supplies up the mountain as they do now.

After much persuasion and campaigning among the villagers, Mr. Mang gradually gained their support. Building a major road couldn't be done manually; they had to hire excavators. "Back then, people were very poor. Food and clothing were scarce. Asking them to contribute money to hire excavators for road construction would be as difficult as carrying stones to the sky," Mr. Mang recalled. At that time, Mr. Mang's family was slightly better off than others. He raised many goats, buffaloes, and cows, and produced plenty of food. He volunteered to sell his agricultural products and buffaloes to hire excavators to build a road to the production area of ​​Cao A village.

Mr. Mang's commendable work gradually gained the support of the villagers. Mr. Song A Su, also from the village, boldly contributed 35 million VND to help Mr. Mang build the road. Many other households, such as Song A Chu, Song A Trong, and Song A Tenh, volunteered to cook meals and serve the road construction team at the site.

When Mr. Mang hired an excavator to build the road, everyone in the village was overjoyed. After listening to his persuasion and explanation, they agreed to donate land for the road construction. Day after day, Mr. Mang, along with some respected elders in the village, spent months out in the fields measuring, surveying, supervising, and assisting with the work to ensure the road would bring the most benefits. Mr. Song A Trang, head of Cao A village, shared: "Thanks to hiring the excavator, building the road to the village and to the production area has become easier. Mr. Mang's actions not only demonstrate a high sense of responsibility towards the villagers but also contribute to improving their lives and opening up opportunities for economic development and poverty reduction."

Alongside promoting and encouraging the people in the village to comply with the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws, he also pioneered economic development, helping the people change their mindset and methods in labor and production to improve work efficiency, increase income, and improve their lives.

Mr. Mang is also a pioneer in transforming the crop structure and developing production in Cao A village. Besides corn, he also grows ginger, hawthorn, etc. Furthermore, Mr. Mang actively encouraged villagers to follow suit, resulting in high economic efficiency. To date, Cao A village has cultivated 75 hectares of terraced rice, 15 hectares of ginger, and over 30 hectares of hawthorn. Mr. Mang also boldly opened a ginger powder processing factory to sell the villagers' products.

Commenting on Mr. A Mang's work, Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of Bac Yen District, said: "Mr. Mang has been a respected figure in the village for over a decade. His practical actions have opened up opportunities for people in the highlands of Bac Yen District to escape poverty and become wealthy. Mr. Mang is not only a shining example of responsibility but has also contributed to changing the face of the village in the journey towards building a prosperous and happy life."

Through his contributions, Mr. Mang has received numerous certificates of merit and commendations from the province, district, and commune levels. In 2020, he was honored to be selected as an Outstanding Farmer. In 2023, he was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister: "A reputable person in Cao A village, Lang Chieu commune, who has achieved success in ethnic affairs and implemented the Party and State's ethnic policies, contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland."

Speaking about the role of a respected figure in the community, Mr. Hang A Cu, Secretary of the Party Committee of Lang Chieu commune, Bac Yen district, said:Reputable personThis has helped local Party committees and authorities to promptly understand and address the legitimate concerns and aspirations of the people, raising the awareness and responsibility of each citizen towards the community and society. As a result, the lives of the people in the commune have improved, enabling them to contribute their efforts and resources to the construction of new rural areas; making significant contributions to the development of socio-economic programs and plans in the locality; coordinating with Party committees and authorities to mobilize the people to implement the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, and ethnic policies; serving as shining examples in promoting emulation movements at the grassroots level; and contributing to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Meanwhile, in Hang Chu commune (Bac Yen district), Giang A Chu and Mr. Mua A Senh, respected figures in Pa Cu Sang village, introduced cardamom plants to be grown under the forest canopy in the village and actively propagated and encouraged the people to follow suit. As a result, in the areas where cardamom is grown, the people not only refrain from cutting down the trees but also plant more trees to increase forest cover and provide shade for the cardamom to thrive.

Mr. Giàng A Chu said: "To date, the villagers have planted nearly 200 hectares of cardamom, bringing in a stable income. Almost every household in the village grows cardamom under the forest canopy; therefore, the village's forest area is becoming greener and healthier thanks to the villagers' voluntary care and protection."

Ms. Giang Thi Nu, from Pa Cu Sang village, Hang Chu commune, shared: "Previously, my family faced many difficulties, but since Mr. Chu and Mr. Senh guided us in planting cardamom, my family has followed their advice. To date, we cultivate over 2 hectares of cardamom, yielding 7 tons of fruit per year at an average selling price of 17,000-20,000 VND/kg, bringing in over 100 million VND in income for daily living expenses and our children's education."

Currently, Bac Yen district has 99 influential individuals, including retired officials, Party branch secretaries, and outstanding producers. These influential individuals have made significant contributions to the development of socio-economic programs and plans in the locality; they have coordinated with Party committees, government agencies, and the Fatherland Front to monitor the implementation of Party guidelines, State policies and laws, and ethnic policies. They have actively mobilized the people to effectively implement grassroots democracy; built and implemented village and hamlet regulations and customs; developed cultural villages, hamlets, and families; eliminated outdated customs; preserved and promoted ethnic cultural identity; and maintained security, political stability, and social order in the locality.

Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs DepartmentBac Yen districtAccording to the report, influential figures among ethnic minority communities are the representatives and core elements that create unity and serve as an important bridge between the Party committee, the government, and the local people. To promote the role of these influential figures, Bac Yen district annually organizes training sessions and provides information on the Party's guidelines, State policies, and laws regarding socio-economic issues. In addition, the district effectively implements policies and regulations for these influential figures, creating the most favorable conditions for them to participate in activities and exert their positive influence within the community.

With their responsibilities and roles, the team of influential individuals in Bac Yen district are shining examples in contributing to the promotion of emulation movements at the grassroots level; contributing to the economic and social development of the locality.

Tien Manh - Nhat Minh