In socio-economic development and new rural construction, the team of prestigious people in the Khmer people's region in Vinh Long is promoting its role as a bridge between the government and the people, contributing to creating positive changes at the grassroots level.
According to VNA, in Cho hamlet, Binh Phu commune, Mr. Thach Uong (born in 1964) is a typical example of many years of attachment to social work. With the role of member of the Fatherland Front Committee, Head of the hamlet Red Cross Association and participating in elderly work, he actively mobilizes to support poor households and households in difficult circumstances during holidays and Tet; and at the same time connects to build 2 Great Solidarity houses for people in particularly difficult circumstances.
Cho hamlet currently has more than 564 households, of which Khmer people account for more than 42%. Mr. Thach Uong and the locality mobilized 34 households to donate more than 3,000m2 of land to build 3 rural traffic routes more than 1.5km long. Initially, many households were still concerned about the impact on production land area, but thanks to persistent mobilization and long-term benefit analysis, people agreed to donate land to build roads.
The new routes make travel and transportation of goods more convenient, and at the same time create conditions for students of Anh Duong kindergarten, Phuong Thanh A primary school and Phuong Thanh secondary school to go to school safely.
Not only participating in social work, from 1986 to now, Mr. Thach Uong has also maintained free Khmer literacy teaching for local children to preserve the language, writing and national cultural identity.
According to Mr. Thach Rieng, Head of the People's Committee of Cho hamlet, about 15 years ago, the poverty rate in the hamlet accounted for more than 50%, and now there are only 2 households under social protection. Average income per capita has doubled, reaching 82 million VND/person/year.
Vinh Long province currently has more than 373,640 ethnic minorities, accounting for 11.03% of the population; Khmer people alone have more than 353,000 people, accounting for 10.42% of the total population of the province.
Thanks to promoting the role of reputable people, many localities have effectively mobilized community resources to build new rural areas, develop transport infrastructure, and sustainably reduce poverty. To date, 100% of communes and wards have car roads to the center; 100% of hamlets and villages have national grid electricity; over 98% of Khmer households use electricity and 99% of rural people use hygienic water. By the end of 2025, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities in the province will decrease to 1.16%.
Currently, the whole province has 98/105 communes meeting new rural standards, 20 communes meeting advanced new rural standards and 1 commune meeting model new rural standards, which is Long Vinh commune.
According to Mr. Kien Banh, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Vinh Long province, the whole province currently has 445 people with prestige among ethnic minorities. In 2025 alone, the province allocated more than 1.5 billion VND to implement policies to support this force.
Practice in Vinh Long shows that when cared for and facilitated to promote their role, reputable people become "unity nuclei" at the grassroots level, contributing to poverty reduction, building new rural areas and preserving Khmer culture in the region.
