(HBO) - In order to improve the local ethnic minority groups’ access to information related to land and forest use rights, the "Secure Land Rights for All - Giving Ethnic Minorities a Voice"” (L4A) project is being implemented in Mai Chau and Da Bac districts of Hoa Binh by Helvetas Vietnam in collaboration with the Land Alliance (LANDA)/Center for Rural Community Development Research (CCRD), and the provincial Farmers' Union.
Members of the farmers’ union in Cao Son commune (Da Bac district) are equipped with knowledge and laws on land and forest management and protection.
In Mai Chau district, the Thai ethnic group makes up nearly 60 percent of the population, the Muong ethnic group over 14 percent, the Mong ethnic group 9.6 percent. Grassroots mediation groups have actively contributed to solving problems occurring in the community.
However, Sung A Chenh, Chairman of the Farmers’ Union of Mai Chau district, said: In some localities, grassroots mediation groups still lack knowledge and capacity to solve problems related to land, and land and forest use rights of ethnic minorities. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the capacity regarding the legal framework and related skills to best support local people and authorities in addressing problems in the community. Although the L4A project has just been implemented, it has partly strengthened the capacity of mediation groups and social organisations at the grassroots level as well as the ethnic minority community, especially women, in handling issues related to their land and forest resources.
Hoang Hung, Deputy Chief of the Office of the provincial Farmers’ Union, said that issues related to land use rights often cause great impacts on the lives of ethnic minorities, as their livelihoods depend mainly on land and forest resources, while their voices are not really heard sometimes. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the project. The distinction of the training programme is that the contents on land policy and mediation are specially designed by the project's experts, so they are suitable for ethnic minorities in mountainous areas.
Up to now, the units have coordinated to organise and complete three training courses, in which trainees improve their awareness and skills in contributing to the development of land policies, and mediation skills in the field of land. In the rest of the year, the trainees are expected to complete all five training courses. After that, these trainees will conduct re-training sessions for grassroots officials, members of the local mediation teams, village elders, village heads and reputable people to provide effective support on land and forest use rights of ethnic minorities./.
Hoa Binh is carried out investment projects to upgrade three district medical centres in Lac Son and Yen Thuy districts and Hoa Binh city. The projects are funded by the central budget under the Economic and Social Recovery and Development Programme, aiming to improve healthcare services. The goal is to gradually develop a system of modern and quality district-level healthcare facilities.
To improve the cultural and spiritual life of the elderly, the associations for the elderly at various levels in Hoa Binh province have created many interesting and meaningful activities, attracting the participation of a large number of old people. These activities provide opportunities for them to improve both their physical and mental health, enabling them to live happily and healthily.
The pilot programme for sending Vietnamese workers to the Republic of Korea (RoK) for seasonal agricultural jobs continues under a collaboration between localities of the two countries, running for five years from January 1, 2022.
Staff of the Red Cross Society of Hoa Binh province were deeply moved by a meaningful and humanitarian act by Mr Vu Huu Lung, 86, in Hoa Binh city, to donate his corneas, which brought hopes to those yearning for the light. Before passing away, Lung left behind a noble wish to donate all of his organs, including his corneas, to help patients suffering from blindness and those in need of organ transplants to revive their lives.
In the small house of Bui Van Luong in Bung 2 Hamlet, Thu Phong commune, Cao Phong district, an array of traditional items such as serving trays, woven storage baskets for blankets, sticky rice containers, and bamboo baskets are beautifully and skillfully crafted.
Over the recent past, the education and training sector of Hoa Binh province has paid great attention to reforming management activities, improving teachers’ quality, and innovating teaching methods that focus on quality and efficiency, at the same time with implementing the sector’s emulation campaigns and movements.
