(HBO) – In response to the movement "War veterans help each other reduce povery, do business” for the 2016-2021 period, officials and war veterans of Lac Luong commune, Yen Thuy district emulated to improve livelihoods. So far, the commune is home to 10 poor war veteran households, accounting for 3.4 percent, down 77 households compared to 2017. The average income of each veteran reaches 26 million VND per year.

The first impression when meeting veteran Bui Xuan Nui in Thong Nhat hamket, Lac Luong commune was his agility and passion for household economic development. Previously, his family developed cultivation in combination with animal husbandry, but at a small scale. Since February 2021, he has developed a buffalo and cow farming model on a site of 120 sq.m with 11 heads. To have a food supply available, he renovated his 3,000 sq.m garden to grow elephant grasses and over 3ha of white sugarcane. He earns about 200 million VND on average each year.

The communal war veterans’ association has 289 members in eight chapters. During the 2016-2021 period, the movement "War veterans help each other reduce povery, do business” attracted many veterans who ventured to escape poverty and make rich in the homeland. The association urged its members to switch to grow new plants, breed new animals, adopt technological advances to increase production and quality. The commune has two working groups, four farms, 18 production and trade facilities owned by veterans, which generated jobs to nearly 100 local workers with an average monthly income of 4-6 million VND per capita. At present, the rate of middle and high-income veterans’ households accounts for 91 percent, and four out of eight veterans’ chapters do not have poor members.

Apart from developing household economy, war veterans upheld the sense of solidarity and offered mutual support to escape poverty sustainably. Each year, funds raised by them are used to create capital and help poor members. This year, the communal veterans’ association built a fund worth 130.1 million VND, or 451,000 VND per member on average. In partnership with the communal branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies with a total outstanding loan worth 10.1 billion VND, the association helped 223 veterans’ households and residents access loans. It also maintains 2-3 training sessions per year in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry and technological transfer. It also partnered with the district veterans’ association to support the construction of two houses for poor members./.