Đồng Tháp helps locals sustainably escape poverty

Through efforts from relevant authorities, many poor and near-poor households in Tháp Mười District have been able to stabilise their lives and sustainably escape poverty. Photo laodong.vn

ĐỒNG THÁP - Tháp Mười District in Đồng Tháp Province in recent years has supported many locals in stabilising their lives and sustainably escaping poverty.

In recent years, the People's Committee of Tháp Mười District has instructed the local Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DOLISA) to coordinate with other agencies and localities in implementing the National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction (SPR) for the 2021-2025 period.

This programme focuses on projects and sub-projects that support livelihoods and vocational training for the poor, as well as poverty reduction policies.

Through these efforts, many poor and near-poor households have been able to make a stable living.

Each year, based on the district’s plan for the National Target Programme for SPR, the DOLISA coordinates with other sectors, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Committee, and district-level socio-political organisations, as well as the People's Committees of communes and towns, to encourage poor and near-poor households to strive towards improving their lives.

They organise dialogues with these households to listen to their concerns and promptly provide support.

During the 2021-2025 period, the district is implementing projects under the National Target Programme for SPR, specifically Project 2: Livelihood Diversification and SPR Model Development in the communes of Mỹ Đông, Láng Biển, Mỹ An, and Hưng Thạnh.

A total of 42 households have received financial support ranging from VNĐ20 to 40 million (US$787.4 to 1574.8) per household to invest in livestock and crop farming to improve their family's economic stability.

Total project funding exceeds VNĐ2.4 billion from central and local government budgets.

Over a two-year period, households involved in the project will repay 30 per cent of the funds, while the rest will be fully subsidised by the government.

Additionally, the district has implemented sub-projects under the National Target Programme for SPR, such as Sub-project 1: Support for Agricultural Production, which provides capital to help 13 poor, near-poor, newly escaped from poverty, and disabled households in the communes of Phú Điền, Hưng Thạnh and Mỹ Quý.

Another sub-project focuses on vocational education development in poor and difficult areas, organising a training course on making products from water hyacinth and banana stems, with over 25 poor and near-poor households participating.

Through funds from these projects and sub-projects, many poor, near-poor, and newly out-of-poverty households have invested in frog farming, pig and cow raising, and the cultivation of jackfruit and rice, helping to improve their family incomes.

To ensure these projects' effectiveness, the district People's Committee has established an inspection team to work with commune and town authorities to monitor and encourage people to use the funds appropriately, offering assistance when difficulties arise.

According to recent surveys, most households involved in these projects have used the funds efficiently.

A Tháp Mười resident has received capital from the local authority to farm fish and frogs. - Photo baodongthap.vn

An example is the household of Nguyễn Văn Thắng from Mỹ Thị B Hamlet, Mỹ An Commune, which was a near-poor household that received financial assistance through Project 2.

Previously, Thắng and his wife made a living through temporary jobs, with unstable incomes.

In 2018, he utilised a pond behind his house to raise meat frogs along with tra fish. Initially, due to a lack of capital and experience, the farming was not very effective.

Recognising his determination to work, the local authority supported him with VNĐ30 million in 2023 from the livelihood diversification project and introduced him to preferential loans from the Social Policy Bank amounting to VNĐ40 million.

With this capital, Thắng was able to invest in frog and fish farming with greater success.

He shared: “Currently, I harvest around 10 tonnes of frogs and more than one tonne of tra fish annually, providing me with a stable income. Thanks to the support of the local government, my wife and I have been able to improve our lives and have now escaped poverty.”

From 2021 to August 2024, the district had successfully implemented poverty reduction policies such as enabling over 13,000 households to access credit, providing health insurance to more than 14,700 poor, near-poor, and low-income individuals, and contributing to reducing hardships for many poor households. - VNS