The 'flowers' of prestige

Among the 481 prestigious persons recognized within the ethnic minority communities of Dong Nai Province, 31 are women. Although considered the “weaker gender”, each of these women, has demonstrated relentless effort when taking on community work, earning respect from the people and trust from local authorities.

Dao Thi Lung (Cam My commune), a prestigious person in Dong Nai province's ethnic minority communities, discusses with others in Dong Nai province's ethnic minority communities. Photo: Van Truyen

Their contributions are often silent but vital to preserving traditional culture and promoting socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas.

Community role models overcoming hardship

Among the women who are reputable individuals in Dong Nai province's ethnic minority communities, many are Party members, currently holding various positions, and contributing in many ways to society. They serve as role models and a source of inspiration for the younger generation to strive for a better life.

Party member Nguyen Hong Nu, currently a teacher at Nguyen Khuyen Primary School and also a prestigious person in Dong Nai province's ethnic minority communities in Xuan Thanh commune, said: In the past, studying was not easy for her, but thanks to her personal efforts, encouragement from her family, and the State's preferential policies for ethnic minority children, she had the opportunity to attend university and return to work in her hometown after graduation. Through her efforts, she was admitted to the Party in 2014.

Based on her own experience, Nu strives to inspire a spirit of learning in every student, especially ethnic minority students, and to encourage parents to pay more attention to their children's education. For students with poor academic results, she gathers them at her home to help them. As a result, many ethnic minority students have achieved better academic results, the number of dropouts has decreased compared to before, and more and more ethnic minority students are attending colleges and universities.

When Thi Nhuong (a member of S'tieng ethnic group, Tan Quan commune) first started her family, her family always struggled to make ends meet. Thanks to hard work and the State's support policies, Thi Nhuong's family life has gradually improved. She also earned the trust of local authorities and the community to take on the role of a reputable individual in the ethnic minority community. In this role, she receives the care policies of the Party, State, and Dong Nai province for reputable individuals and village elders, including a monthly allowance of VND 800,000, health insurance card support, and visits on the occasion of holidays and Lunar New Year (Tet)…. She always reminds everyone in the community to try hard to build a fulfilling life for themselves and their children and grandchildren.

Another case is Dieu Thi Ut (63 years old, a member of Choro ethnic group, Thanh Son commune). Every day, she and her children go to the fields to tend their crops. Ut believes that it is a habit that provides income and labor, making her feel useful in life. Through this, she also reminds her children and grandchildren, as well as young people in the community, to work hard to proactively build a better life, avoiding the mentality of waiting and relying on State policies.

In addition to the 31 women recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as prestigious persons in ethnic minority communities, the entire province has 4 women recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as village elders of Dong Nai province, including: Quach Thi Nam (in Thien Hung commune), Nong Thi Dung (in Dong Tam commune), Luu Thi Viet and Vi Thi Phuc (in Tan Loi commune).

Contributing to maintaining peace in the villages

Beyond their efforts in working and learning, these women serve as crucial bridges between Party committees, authorities, and ethnic minority people; connecting the community for the peace of the villages.

Dao Thi Lung is one of the reputable individuals in Dong Nai province's ethnic minority communities. She currently represents 113 Choro ethnic households, 63 Khmer ethnic households, and some other ethnic minorities in Cam My commune.

Lung said: This is her second year serving as a prestigious person among ethnic minorities. While serving as a community representative, she learned from the elders in the hamlet and prestigious persons in neighboring communes to truly become a voice for the people and a channel for disseminating the Party's guidelines, policies, and state laws to the community.

According to Lung, conflicts between families in residential areas are inevitable in daily life. Thanks to her long-standing connection with the community and their trust in her, when disputes arise, people contact her to resolve them. When she steps in to mediate, people listen, and although sometimes multiple meetings are required, everything is eventually settled successfully.

Hoang Thi Sao, representing over 200 Tay ethnic households and some other ethnic minority families in Tan Tien commune, said: The area where she lives is one of the 8 border communes of Dong Nai province, so in addition to common livelihood issues like inland communes, the community here also upholds the spirit of solidarity, working together to maintain security and order, and protect the border line.

Among these efforts, to consolidate and build the great national unity bloc with the Party committees and authorities, Sao informs the community about the preferential policies of the Party, the State, and Dong Nai province for ethnic minorities, especially those in border and extremely difficult communes. Whenever residents raise any questions, she patiently explains them in detail, and if an issue goes beyond her knowledge, she contacts the authorities for assistance in answering the people's questions. This helps the people understand and feel secure in building their lives, contributing to the province's development, and maintaining the great national unity bloc.

By Van Truyen – Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha