Poverty reduction for ethnic minorities following asset-based community development in muong so commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province

JOURNAL OF SCIENCE OF HNUE DOI: 10.18173/2354-1067.2016-0117 Social Sci., 2016, Vol. 61, No. 12, pp. 161-167 This paper is available online at POVERTY REDUCTION FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES FOLLOWING ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IN MUONG SO COMMUNE, PHONG THO DISTRICT, LAI CHAU PROVINCE Nguyen Thanh Binh Faculty of Social Work, Hanoi National University of Education Abstract. The worldwide poverty reduction has been a global issue and Vietnam is not an exception. During the last years, Vietnam has obtained fixed achievements in the work of poverty reduction; however, the significant difficulties and challenges, particularly the poverty reduction for ethnic minorities have still been available. In order to solve absolutely the poverty reduction for the ethnic minorities, we should apply creatively all potential resources from the local people in combination with the Government assistance. It is the sustainable community development. Keywords: Poverty reduction, ethnic minorities, community, community development. 1. Introduction The poverty reduction has recently become the global issue. The poverty has happened in all continents in the world at different levels. In spite of backward, underdeveloped, developing or rich countries, the poverty has been the uncomfortable issue for and challenge against the development of any country. In Vietnam, the comprehensive and sustainable poverty reduction has always been interested in by the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government and determined to be the objective throughout the socio-economic growth and one of the important duties contributing to the socialist-oriented national development. Spending 20 years of the renovation (Doi Moi), the poverty reduction has been socialized, becoming the duty of all levels and sectors, and attracting the participation of crowded people. The achievements of Vietnam in the poverty reduction have been highly appreciated as one of 10 countries which have the fastest rate of poverty reduction. However, the poverty reduction in Vietnam has currently also faced with significant difficulties and challenges. Because of war consequences, Vietnam has derived from a poor country of which the income and average expenditure per capita were low. The gap Received date: 21/5/2016, Published date:29/10/2016 Contact: Nguyen Thanh Binh, e-mail: binhnt@hnue.edu.vn 161 Nguyen Thanh Binh between the poor and the rich, the urban and rural areas, among regions and groups of residents tends to increase. The rate of the poor people who are the ethnic minorities has still been high; potential re-poverty may increase; employment opportunities for the poor have been few. The rate of re-poverty households has still been high. The poverty reduction is unsustainable. Therefore, in order to solve absolutely the poverty reduction, we should apply creatively all potential resources from the local people in combination with the Government assistance for the community growth. It is the sustainable community development. 2. Content 2.1. Concept of Asset - Based Community Development (ABCD) ABCD is the abbreviation of Asset - Based Community Development, in which A: Asset; B: Based; C: Community; D: Development. It can be understood that ABCD is “the asset - based community development”. Currently, the researchers who follow ABCD approach think that the asset-based community includes 6 types as follows: - Human capitals:The human capitals mainly emphasize the human factor, focusing on the individuals who play the role as catalysis during the development and those who connect the resources and have skills, talents, abilities and experiences in the community. - Physical capitals: The physical capitals are construction works and buildings to serve the people life such as: traffic roads, schools, medical stations, place of culture. . . - Natural capitals: The natural capitals are the world’s stocks of natural assets which include soil, water, natural fish, forest. . . Actually, the capital capitals exist in three forms: exploited resources (found out and used), unexploited resources (found out but unused) and potential resources (not found out). The looking for and detection of potential resources shall help the community maximize its potentials and strength during the development. - Social capitals: The social capitals include spontaneous groups, organizations, unions, institutions, sectors, relationship of members, and relationship among groups and organizations in the community. The fundamental principle of ABCD approach is to centralize the social relationships and the strength of the community is the power of such relationships. - Policy capitals: The policy capitals include village regulations, local laws, habits and customs, preferential policies to the poor, the disabled. . . affecting positively the life of people in the community. - Financial capitals: The financial capitals include the economic resources in the community such as: state budget; entrepreneurs or production businesses in the community; banking systems; economic capacity of members in the community; credit saving funds in the community. . . 162 Poverty reduction for ethnic minorities following asset-based community development in... 2.2. Application of ABCD approach to establish community development project “Model of high quality rice intensive cultivation and field mechanization” for poverty reduction for the ethnic minorities Muong So field has very important location and characteristics for the production of food and foodstuff in Phong Tho district in particular and Lai Chau province in general. Muong So is also the center for goods exchange as well as socio-cultural center in Phong Tho district. It is also the location of economic exchange with some districts and towns in the province; Ma Lu Thang border gate trades with Kim Binh district, Van Nam province, China. Muong So has many potentials to develop the agriculture - forestry - fishery such as: even and flat cultivation area, favorable irrigational system, climate suitable to the growth of some plants and domestic animals. The conditions of traffic and irrigation have been fundamentally completed, currently improved and upgraded. The awareness of officers and peoples on science and technology applied to the production has gradually improved. However, Muong So commune has still been purely agricultural region with 85% of agricultural population. Its strength is land fund, climate and labor force which have not been invested in and exploited reasonably. The standard and farming habits of the residents, particularly the poor households, have still been low and backward, mainly manual methods. The farmers have not bravely invested in mechanization and intensive cultivation to increase the income from the farming area. Thus, the economic performance has not been high. The average food consumption per capita is low; rate of poverty is high. The project will help the residents exploit and improve the performance from potentials and strength of Muong So field as well as support the poor households to gradually transfer the structure of seasons, bring new seeds in intensive cultivation, mechanize the fields, increase the income per area; establish the production region in the direction of production of agricultural goods; then heighten the production standards, increase income of the residents, contribute to speed up the poverty reduction, change the thinking and awareness of the residents. The focused investment in production development in Muong So field for the poor households and the households near the poverty threshold is completely objective and meaningful, changing the face of production regarding the economic growth in Muong So commune, Phong Tho district. 2.2.1. Targets of the project + General targets Form faster change of material and spiritual life of the residents; remove gradually the local traditional farming habits; apply advanced science to the production, contribute to reduce the poverty rate (reduction of 3-4% each year), average food consumption per capita reaching 300 - 350kg/person/year, contribute to increase the gross domestic product (GDP) up to 12-15 million VND/person/year; develop the agricultural area into specializing are; produce agriculture in the direction of production of agricultural goods, establish the sustainable agriculture. + Specific targets 163 Nguyen Thanh Binh Help 466 poor households and 254 households near the poverty threshold in Muong So commune, which participate in the project, gradually change the traditional farming habits, approach the new science and technology, speed up the production. Increase the labor productivity regarding soil preparation and harvesting up to 6-8 times against the manual methods or buffaloes or cows. Release labor in agriculture. Also increase quality of plants, contribute to heighten the productivity of plants in Muong So commune to 50 quintals/ha; reduce the rate of poor households in Muong So commune to 30%; speed up the sustainable development. 2.2.2. Contents of assistance for the community development project a. Participants The poor households and households near the poverty threshold in Muong So commune, and the households that voluntarily participate in the project undertake to comply with the technical procedures given by the project; have sufficient resources, production soil and labor force. They shall be provided with technical training, attend seminars and conferences of model summary, entitled to whole products of the family completed in the area supported by the project. . . b. Scope, location and time The project of high quality rice intensive cultivation is carried out in 11 hamlets of Muong So commune with total area of 36.2ha, detailed as follows: No. Location Scope (ha) Number of households 1 Tung So and Tung Cung fields, Muong So commune 36.2 518 (Source: Midterm preliminary report of Party Committee of Muong So commune in 2010- 2015) c. Form and mechanism of investment, assistance and implementation of the project c1. Seeds, materials, machines and equipment * Seeds and materials - Mechanism of assistance: Finance 100% seeds, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides for the households that participate in the project. - Form of assistance: Directly in kind for 518 poor households participating in the project. * Machines and equipment - Mechanism of assistance: Finance 100% machines. - Form of assistance: Support directly 8 tillage machines, 8 combined harvesters for 8 groups of households (each group provided with 1 tillage machine and 1 combined harvester). The groups shall select the lead, establishing regulations of operation, 164 Poverty reduction for ethnic minorities following asset-based community development in... maintenance and repairing machines in each group. c2. Training - Number of participants in training: 400. Number of training classes: 8. Each class: 50 trainees. Each class: 1 day - Training time: From 8/2014 . Contents of training: technical process of cultivation, caring of pure rice seed and techniques of machine operation. - Location: Head office of Muong So Commune People’s Committee. - Trainers: Including officers of professional divisions in the district. Their qualifications are bachelor’s degrees and more. c3. Communication Communicate and expand the high quality rice intensive cultivation and field mechanization by many forms via mass media, documents. . . helping the residents be aware of and learn the way to organize and expand the model. c4. Summary and assessment of project results and performance The provincial, district and communal competent authorities, heads of hamlets, and participating households, representatives of communal and district-level people’s committee will participate in summary and assessment of the project results and performance. Particularly, assess efficiency of seeds, materials, techniques, implementation plans and results against the proposed plan and targets. d. Estimated results of the project + Economy Ensure the productivity of pure rice of 50 - 55 quintals/ha, bringing about the income of 50 - 55 million VND/ha/crop. Speed up the production, reduce labor force, increase economic performance per area. + Society and environment Offer employment to 518 households. Increase income to 55-60 million VND/ha/crop; enhance intellectual standards of the people, contribute to poverty reduction, stabilize food security and improve the national character; whereby transfer advanced science and technology for the development of agricultural production according to VIETGAP standard. Through the project, transfer the suitable methods and techniques of cultivation to the residents to apply in each region and create the residents’ interest in techniques to enhance the knowledge of science and technology. 2.2.3. Measures of project implementation + Measure of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers Pay attention to select high quality pure rice such as PC6, Huong Thom 1, Bac Thom 7, . . . of which time of growth is short, suitable to the climate conditions of the project area; select suppliers of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides. . . inside and outside the province that are qualified and prestigious to supply standardized and quality goods; 165 Nguyen Thanh Binh intensify the propaganda, provide instructions for the residents to select methods of selection, production and expansion of seeds for the subsequent crops. . . + Measure of technique The district authorities in charge of technology transfer and professional agencies must appoint the qualified and experienced officers in seeds, cultivation and plant protection. . . to establish instruction and training documents for farmers; organize training courses before the project implementation so that the farmers could take the initiative in the production. Particularly, pay attention to the training and transfer of advanced technology to the local key officers such as communal and hamlet-level officers in charge of agricultural encouragement, heads and vice heads of hamlets; strengthen the close inspection and control in fields; provide guidance for timely treatment of insects and harmful diseases. . . ; restrict the use of pesticides, reduce costs, preserve clean agricultural products to protect the environment. + Measure of irrigation Work with irrigation management board of commune and hamlet to take the initiative in distribution and regulation of irrigation water reasonably, ensure the irrigation water for plants. + Measure of machine management and operation Form machine management teams (tillage machines, combined harvesters); establish specific rule of machine operation and protection. Upon the project completion, Muong So Commune People’s Committee will assign such teams to continue the management and operation. + Measure of capital The capital covered by the State budget will used for seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, necessary machines and facilities. . . The capital contributed by the residents will include labor, muck or green manure. + Measure of human resources The households participating in the project will mobilize all labor forces in combination with members of Trade Union and the youth to carry out the project. + Measure of market and consumption Currently, the high quality agricultural products have been favored by the market. Therefore, the output of the project will be accepted by the market and bringing about economic performance to the residents. 3. Conclusion The recommendation of project of “Model of high quality rice intensive cultivation and field mechanization in Muong So commune, Phong Tho district, Lai Chau province” is in accordance with the guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Government’s policies currently in order to help the poor households apply advanced scientific and technological measures to the production, change the traditional farming 166 Poverty reduction for ethnic minorities following asset-based community development in... habits, expand the intensive cultivation area and increase the crops, contribute to poverty reduction, and help the people approach the method of centralized production of agricultural goods. REFERENCES [1] Midterm preliminary report of Party Committee of Muong So commune in 2010 - 2015. [2] Nguyen Thi Hong Chuyen, 2015. Asset-Based Community Development from actuality in Mang Ri commune, Tu Mo Rong district, Kon Tum province; thesis of Master in social work, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. [3] Chu Dung, 2007. Approaches to ABCD. Publishing House of Research Center - Counseling Social Work and Community Development (SDRC). [4] Nguyen Kim Lien, 2008. Community Development. Labor and Social Publishing House. [5] Nguyen Huu Nhan, 2004. Community Development. Publishing House of Vietnam National University, Hanoi. 167