Secretary of the provincial Bac Giang Party Committee Bui Van Hai and representatives of the Red Cross Societies of Bac Giang province and Hiep Hoa district present cows to poor households.

Bui Van Hai, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Honourable Chairman of the Bac Giang Red Cross Society attended and presented cows to some families. The gifts are expected to help the poor households escape poverty.

Giving opportunities to get out of poverty

Representatives from the 60 households, with joyful countenances, were present at the headquarters of the Hiep Hoa district People’s Committee early to receive breeding cows from the Thien Tam Fund. Thanks to the introduction of Ta Thi Hau, Chairwoman of the Red Cross Society in Dong Lo commune, I had a talk with Pham Thi Mui (born in 1963) in Hanh hamlet. Mui’s family is one of the most disadvantaged households in the commune. Although she is always sick, Mui has to care for her younger sister, who is also lonely like her. Their income relies mostly on rice farming.

She said: “I was touched by the support from the local authorities, especially the provincial Red Cross Society and the sponsor. The cow will make cultivation of rice and other crops easier. My family will take care of the cow and hand over the first brood of its calves to the district’s Red Cross Society to help other disadvantaged households”.

The Thien Tam Fund also presented 140 cows to poor families in Luc Nam, Tan Yen, and Viet Yen districts with a total value of 3.4 billion VND. Each cow weighs average 170 kilograms and receives sufficient injections. To ensure disease-free breeding cows, the Fund chose Sind cross-bred cows from Lua Vang Agricultural services and Production Cooperative in Hong Giang hamlet, Duc Giang commune, Yen Dung district. The supplier pledges 30-day insurance for the cows.

Ly Minh Tuan, Director of the Thien Tam Fund, said that surveys have shown that cows are easy to take care of as they can eat leftovers and plants in nature. The price of a cow is not too high, however, many poor households, especially those in mountainous and remote areas, could not afford to buy. Supporting them with cows is expected to help them escape poverty sustainably, he noted.

Representatives of beneficiary families draw lots to receive cows.

For many years, besides presenting breeding cows, the Thien Tam Fund has splashed out tens of billions of VND to build houses for the poor and give scholarships to disadvantaged children in the locality.

To make “capital” multiple

Ma Thi Thin Nga, Chairwoman of the Red Cross Society of Bac Giang province, said its chapters at all levels have proposed authorities of 10 districts and Bac Giang city set up steering boards for the “Cow Bank” programme. Many chapters have taken methodological and creative measures to develop the “Cow Bank” for the poor.

For example, the Red Cross Society in Dong Lo commune of Hiep Hoa district has made the most of the meetings of local residents and organizations to call for support to the programme. The selection of beneficiaries has been made in line with criteria, and those with special disadvantages are prioritized.

A representative of the Red Cross Society of Yen Dung district said all the presented 75 cows gave birth, and the calves have been handed over to other low-income people. To achieve these outcomes, the district’s Red Cross Society has capitalized on local businesses’ support, coordinated with the local agriculture and rural development division and the veterinary center to select cow species suitable with local natural conditions. It has also come to each household to instruct them how to care for the cows.

Many families have optimized this initial support to gradually stabilize their lives and escape poverty. They include Luu Xuan Nhuong in Tan Ninh hamlet of Tu Mai commune (Yen Dung district), Nguyen Huu Tuyn in Thuong Vu hamlet of Quy Son commune (Luc Ngan district), and Tran Thi Lanh in Cham hamlet of Dong Lo commune (Hiep Hoa district).

Secretary of the provincial Bac Giang Party Committee Bui Van Hai presented cows to representatives of two households, asking them to take good care of the cattle, which he described as practical gifts showing the community’s support and helping the poor assist one another.

He thanked the sponsors and expressed his hope that the Thien Tam Fund will further assist low-income residents in Bac Giang province. He also asked the Red Cross Society’s chapters at all levels to step up communications and encourage support from organizations, businesses and benefactors. Meanwhile, local authorities should help the beneficiaries capitalize on the presented cows.

Tuong Vi