As a vivacious young person, Cao Thi Ngoc Thanh – Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) secretary of Khanh Trung commune in south central Vietnamese Khanh Hoa province’s Khanh Vinh district, has spared no efforts in promoting local youth-union movements and contribute to local socio-economic development.

Since becoming CPV secretary of the commune in December, Thanh has worked with local youth unions and relevant agencies to visit every household and guide people on how to prevent the pandemic.

While many young ethnic minority people who joined the campaign were either too timid or unaware of how to disseminate information and mobilise locals to put Covid-19 prevention and control measures into practice, Thanh was willing to work as a model for them to follow.

Thanh, 32, from the Raglai ethnic minority group, also made more than 4,000 cloth face masks to present to students and people of Khanh Vinh district to prevent Covid-19. Thanks to her initiative, a movement to produce face masks to present others was developed and quickly expanded across the district.

As a student, Thanh actively participated in many activities of her school’s Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU), but realised that activities for young people in this mountainous area were limited and failed to attract the youth.

Her desire to promote activities for local youth union was developed when she was entrusted to work for the district’s HCMCYU in 2017. After three years, the union outweighed many of those in other districts to rank the fourth among the most excellent unions of Khanh Hoa last year.

One of impressive movements initiated by Thanh for the local community was to exchange recyclable trash for gifts. This model has encouraged many people in Khanh Vinh district to sort waste and recycle plastics.

With the hope of upholding the cultural value of ethnic minority people in Khanh Vinh district, Thanh has established a team performing ethnic art programmes highlighting cultural characteristics of different ethnic minority groups in the district with the participation of more than 150 members, including local artists, youth and students.

Moving from a member of local youth union to a CPV member, Thanh has worked hard for socio-economic development of locals.

“I need to work harder at the new position. People are considered the root of all issues, so it is necessary to listen to the voice of people to bring the party closer to the people,” she said.

She said many ethnic minority people were highly dependent on state assistance and support and were largely unmotivated to work hard and escape poverty. Local authorities will hesitate to grant land for them to work.

“However, I think to help them escape poverty, I will study on how and which kinds of plants could be grown on the land before granting it to them and carefully guide them on growing the crops,” she said. “We should give them the fishing rod, not the fish.”

She said she expected CPV to further develop policies to support ethnic minority people and resolutions to help raise consciousness among them of working hard to escape poverty, and curb their reliance on government assistance.

In doing so, she said the economy of mountainous areas could develop sustainably.

Mau Vam Phi, CPV secretary of Khanh Vinh district, said Thanh is an active young ethnic minority member of the party and has a strong passion for her work – initiating many practical programmes, particularly poverty reduction projects.

Having served the CPV for seven years, Thanh has devoted her knowledge and efforts for social activities, becoming an example for many others to follow.

She has recently received certificates of merit from the HCMCYU Central Committee and the National Assembly Ethnic Committee chairman for her contribution for the society and for ethnic minority community in Khanh Vinh district.

VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK