Digital transformation in ethnic minority communities

At a footwear shop in a Dao ethnic hamlet on the forest edge in hamlet 6, Thanh Son commune, Dong Nai province, after a customer chose a pair of sandals, seller Hoang Thi Thanh (Dao) displayed a QR code on her phone  for the buyer to make payment. Once the transfer was confirmed, both parted with smiles, satisfied with the completed transaction.

Hoang Van Thai (Dao people), a respected elder in hamlet 6, Thanh Son commune, uses bank transfers to make purchases.

In recent years, bank transfers, like those at Thanh’s shop have quietly but quickly become common in most hamlets of ethnic minority communities in remote areas such as Thanh Son.

Transfers made from deep in the forest

Dieu Thi Ut (Choro ethnic member), a respected elder in hamlet 5, said: most Choro farms are far from their homes. Therefore, when they buy goods online, delivery staff often find no one at home to pay for the orders. In such cases, neighbors receive and check the packages. If the goods are correct, they call the buyer, who then transfers payment directly to the delivery staff. This is very convenient for both buyers and delivery personnel.

According to delivery worker Tran Hoan, the hamlets in Thanh Son are quite far apart. In densely populated areas, concrete roads are smooth, but for houses located in the middle of vast fields, the roads are both long and difficult to reach. That’s why bank transfers help save time and fuel by avoiding repeated trips to the same address.

According to Nong Van Quyet (Tay ethnic member from hamlet 8), about two kilometers down to his home is a narrow dirt trail from the nearest concrete road. In the dry season, the path is manageable, but in the rainy season, less skilled riders often fall. In recent times, his family has borrowed from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) for education, clean water and rural sanitation. In the past, when paying monthly interest or making saving deposits, the saving and loan group leader would come to his house to collect money, or he would go to the group leader’s house in person. Rainy days made the trip to his home especially difficult for the female leader. Since the bank’s mobile app was introduced and mobile coverage improved, he can transfer funds directly. He takes a screenshot of the transaction and sends it to the leader via Zalo for confirmation.

Nong Van Quyet (Tay ethnic member, Hamlet 8, Thanh Son Commune) talks with the head of the Hamlet 8 Savings and Loan Group about using the VBSP app to transfer his monthly interest payments, instead of having someone come to his house to collect the money as before.

Additionally, Hoang Thi Lan (Tay ethnic member, Hamlet 6) said that when the Tay community migrated here from the northern mountains, they brought with them the traditional Hat Then (Then singing) with handmade gourd lute called “Dan Tinh”. With convenient communication, Tay people inside and outside the commune can make video calls to teach each other new songs or correct lyrics and melodies. When buying an instrument, those outside the commune can call video, so locals can choose the instrument from a store, once satisfied, they transfer payment, and the instrument is shipped directly to the buyers’ location.

Thanks to telecommunications and familiarity with mobile apps, Lan can monitor her home security camera while working far away in the fields. She can also check each family member’s health insurance status to renew it on time, transferring payment directly to agents without meeting in person.

Dong Nai currently has 484 recognized reputable individuals and 98 village elders representing nearly 406,000 ethnic minority residents.

Using social media safely

Ethnic communities’ growing familiarity with digital tools in Thanh Son is partly thanks to government investment in telecommunications infrastructure reaching even small hamlets.

Meanwhile, according to Nguyen Hoang Hai, Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the Thanh Son commune People’s Council: Training sessions on safe use of social media, preventing online scams, ATM card services, banking apps and mobile applications for administrative procedures,… are regularly held for ethnic minority residents.

Dieu Thi Ut added: “Reputable individuals like me receive a monthly state allowance of 800,000 dong. To set an example in digital transformation, the provincial ethnic affairs office, now the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, together with banks, opened free ATM cards and trained us how to use them safely. Now, a message tells me on a monthly basis when my allowance arrives, instead of traveling to an office to sign and receive it. When people see someone aged over 60 using an ATM and making transfers confidently, they also become curious and start learning. Simultaneously, thanks to training, when scam calls impersonating authorities come, we know to ignore them: “not listening, not believing, not following”.

To help respected individuals, village elders, and residents in ethnic minorities effectively carry out digital transformation and use social media safely; according to Tho Ut, Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and a National Assembly deputy for Dong Nai: In the near future, consulting activities, training sessions and direct guidance on digital transformation will be carried out by relevant agencies to help ethnic minority communities better apply digital transformation safely in their daily lives, enhancing the connection between the Communist Party, the government and ethnic minority residents.

Hoang Van Thai (Dao ethnic member), a respected elder in ethnic minority group in Hamlet 6, added that: In the past, when he went to his field hut 5 km from home, there was no phone signals. Each time when he wanted to use the phone, he had to return home or go to the main road to catch a signal. Now, even in the hut, he can read news or listen to music online. However, he and others remind each other to read only official news sources and remain cautious of harmful or provocative content.

By Van Truyen

Translated by Minh Hanh - Thu Ha