Transformation driven by social welfare policies

In recent years, the Party and the State have implemented many policies to support ethnic minority communities nationwide. In Dong Nai province, home to a large number of ethnic minority groups, initiatives such as providing breeding cattle, health insurance cards, and housing assistance have become an integral part of daily life, resulting in tangible, practical changes in people’s daily lives.

Dieu Dieu, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council, proposed several measures to enhance the implementation of health insurance support policies for ethnic minority residents during his recent field inspection in Dak Nhau and Phuoc Son communes.

Giving cows – Giving faith and a future

In Dak Nhau commune, the story of Dieu Thi Hong, a woman of the S’tieng ethnic group, stands out - not just as an example of a household escaping poverty, but as a vivid testament to the far-reaching impact of livelihood support programs initiated by the Party and the State.

“At first, the State provided my family with four breeding cows. After more than two years of care, they gave birth to seven calves, so now we have eleven in total — and two more are pregnant. Without this program, we would have had nothing at all.” Hong said, her voice filled with emotion.

Rather than passively relying on support, Hong cares for her herd with dedication as if it were a treasure - cutting grass for feed, herding them to graze, giving them salt water, and spraying ant repellent during the rainy season.

Behind this success is a well-organized support system. Cao Manh Hung, a cultural and social affairs officer in Dak Nhau commune, shared: “Hong’s household has participated in this model since December 2022. After two and a half years, her herd has developed well, meeting the criteria to be handed over to another household, in line with the project’s goal of rotating livelihoods within the community.”

Hong’s story isn’t unique. Many other households have also successfully increased their herds from four to ten or even fifteen cows. With income earned from selling cattle, some households have shifted to fruit cultivation, marking a significant turning point toward escaping poverty sustainably.

The objective of Resolution No. 16/2022/NQ-HĐND, dated on November 9, 2022, by the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council, amending and supplementing Article 1 of Resolution No. 13/2020/NQ-HĐND dated July 13, 2020, on the provincial support levels for health insurance contributions for certain groups in the 2020–2025 period, goes beyond merely providing health insurance cards. It aims to help S’tieng and other ethnic minority communities understand the value of health, encouraging them to take better care of themselves and focus on disease prevention rather than treatment.

Dieu Dieu, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council

Health insurance - The “key” to protecting health

Alongside livelihood support, good health remains a fundamental element that helps people rise above poverty. In Phuoc Son commune, just like in many other areas with ethnic minority groups, the free health insurance policy has truly changed the lives of the S’tieng people.

Dieu Moc, a resident of Hamlet 10 in Phuoc Son, shared: “All seven members of my family were granted health insurance cards. We are deeply grateful to the Party and the State. In the past, medical visits were costly, but now, with health insurance, expenses are reduced by up to 80%. It’s a truly practical expression of care for the people.”

Beyond distributing health insurance cards, Dong Nai province has proposed including the health insurance policy in its 2025 thematic supervision program. This strategic move aims to ensure that the policy reaches the right beneficiaries, meets actual needs, and truly proves effective in practice.

Tran Ngoc Cong, Chairman of the Phuoc Son Commune People’s Committee, stated: “Ethnic minorities make up 65% of Phuoc Son’s population. Since the adoption of Resolution No. 16/2022, from 2023 to June 2024, 15,120 ethnic minority residents received financial support for purchasing health insurance cards, totaling over 8.9 billion VND. In the first nine months of 2025 alone, nearly 25,000 residents enrolled in the program, reaching an 84.3% coverage rate. Phuoc Son aims to raise this rate to 95% by the end of 2025.

Similarly, in Dak Nhau commune, Deputy Chairman of the commune People’s Committee Le Xuan Nam reported that 14,505 ethnic minority residents received support totaling more than 6.2 billion VND. However, there are still 2,407 ethnic minority individuals who have not yet been covered. The main reason is that many people frequently work away from home, causing population fluctuations and making it difficult to compile accurate beneficiary lists. In addition, incomplete or incorrect personal documents in several cases have also led to delays in the verification process.”

A house, a piece of land – a path to the future

In communes like Phuoc Son, government support extends beyond livestock and insurance cards. New, sturdy houses have replaced old, makeshift shelters, giving families a sense of security to work, send their children to school, and care for their health. However, according to Nguyen Thanh Mai, Party Secretary of Hamlet 10, providing cattle should come with land for grass cultivation; giving homes should go hand in hand with production land. Only then can these policies truly deliver their full effectiveness.

Dieu Dieu, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial People’s Council, affirmed: “The province will continue to issue supplementary policies to support not only adults but also students in ethnic minority areas, so that the children have equal opportunities to learn and develop sustainably.”

Residents of Hamlet 10 in Phuoc Son are being guided by local officials on how to update personal information to extend the validity of their health insurance cards, from paper-based cards to digital ones integrated with the VNeID application.

The policies for ethnic minorities in Dong Nai go beyond just "giving"; they focus on empowering people to take control of their own lives. When residents know how to care for their cattle, save money, seek regular medical check-ups, and plan for their children’s education, that's when the policy truly reaches the heart of the people.

“We don’t simply hand out health insurance cards. What truly matters is ensuring that people use their cards effectively, without wastefulness. To achieve that, we must upgrade healthcare facilities, train medical personnel, and improve service quality so that people can appreciate the true value of this small but meaningful card.” said Dieu Dieu

When policies touch the people’s hearts

From Phuoc Son to Dak Nhau, from breeding cattle to providing new homes and health insurance cards, all these initiatives serve as the stepping stones for ethnic minorities to escape poverty and build better lives. Sound policies, dedicated officials, and trust from the people are the keys to sustainable development. When policies win the people’s hearts, and when citizens shift from passive beneficiaries to active participants, transformation becomes inevitable. And in Dong Nai, a land imbued with warmth and compassion, even the simplest things - a cow, a house, a health insurance card - become powerful launchpads, enabling ethnic communities to shape their future with their own hardworking hands and deep pride in being part of the great Vietnamese family - bound together by care, unity, and shared progress.

By Quoc Phong – Translated by Hong Van, Thu Ha