The small family of Giang A Henh, a resident in Pang Cang hamlet of Suoi Giang commune, Van Chan district, is now full of joy. Thanks to good income last year and the COVID-29 pandemic brought under control, he planned bigger celebrations for the coming Tet (Lunar New Year).

Cooking their meal, he told his children that after harvesting and selling the new batch of Shan tea to a local cooperative, he will accompany his wife and children to go to Nghia Lo town for shopping and eating dishes that the kids love. Hearing that, the children jumped for joy and hugged their father. So simple happiness is!

He said his children can go to school, he and his wife have stable income to support their family, the communal health station is nearby, and they can again access to electricity and convenient roads, all of which are enough for them to be happy.

Trang A Pao, who resides in Giang B hamlet, held that when he manages to completely repay his bank debt, escape from poverty, and build a durable house for his family, it is happiness.

As his eldest daughter was not in good health since she was born, Pao did everything he could to cure her illness but of no avail. In the meantime, his family’s resources became exhausted and they fell into poverty.

Pao and his family were determined to ensure a comfortable life for their daughter and be free of worries about how to make ends meet.

To do that, Pao borrowed 30 million VND (nearly 1,300 USD) from the Van Chan branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to farm cinnamon, pigs, and chickens. Industriously working and saving, he gained enough money to repay all debts, build a house, and get rid of poverty in 2019. At present, his cinnamon farming area covers 4ha, generating about 3 tonnes of bark annually over the last two years.

Using short-term profit to fund long-term livelihoods, he has also raised about 100 chickens each brood and three broods each year, earning 100 million VND annually. Realising high demand from tourists, he has also invested 20 million VND in farming "dui” (bamboo rats) on a trial basis.

Thanks to self-learning, Pao has succeeded in mastering bamboo rat farming and breeding techniques.

He said although having escaped from poverty, he and his wife have kept working to improve their life and better care for their children.

It is encouraging that progressive families like those of Henh and Pao are increasing in Suoi Giang commune. Staying industrious, they have not depended on natural forest but their own efforts to develop tea, cinnamon, and animal farming to raise income.

In 2022, per capita income in Suoi Giang reached 30 million VND while the household poverty rate was brought down to 30%. Up to 98% of people of the working age have jobs, and all children aged five went to school.

Chairman of the communal People’s Committee Luong Van Tam said that last year, Suoi Giang helped four poor families build houses, upgraded the local health station, and expanded the power grid to Tap Lang hamlet – the last in the commune. Up to 88% of inter-hamlet roads, 54% of roads traversing villages and fields were paved and expanded.

Suoi Giang is confident of achieving a happiness index of 70%, the second highest level, in the time ahead, he added.