Once an area with a high rate of early marriage, Pu Sam Cap commune (Lai Chau) is recording clear changes as the awareness of people and students gradually changes, opening up opportunities for learning and sustainable development for the younger generation.
According to VNA, at Noong Heo Secondary School (THCS), propaganda about early marriage and consanguineous marriage has become a regular content. Through practical examples and specific data, students understand the consequences such as health effects, loss of learning and development opportunities. The school not only imparts knowledge but also orients lifestyles, helping them realize that learning is an important path to change the future.
Along with that, seminars, life skills clubs, and thematic activities on gender and children's rights are organized regularly. Even during recess, teachers and students still exchange and share to help them understand their rights and proactively say no to early marriage.
This school year, Noong Heo Secondary School has 700 students, including 19 classes, of which 11 classes are at the central point, 8 classes are at the village point. Thanks to propaganda work, in recent years, there is almost no longer a situation of students dropping out of school halfway to get married.
Pu Sam Cap is a highland commune, mainly populated by ethnic minorities, previously early marriage and consanguineous marriage were quite common, especially in remote villages. At times, the rate of early marriage fluctuates from 7 - 8% of the total number of married couples each year, many cases of girls 14 - 17 years old have started families.
By 2025, the whole commune will only have 6 early marriage couples, equivalent to less than 5% of the total number of married couples, and there will be no more cases of consanguineous marriage. This result comes from the synchronous involvement of the Party Committee, government and mass organizations, identifying early marriage prevention as a key task.
Propaganda work has been widely deployed, "going through every alley, knocking on every door", with content not only disseminating laws but also analyzing the specific consequences of early marriage. The Commune Women's Union plays a core role, coordinating to organize activities, integrating propaganda content for members to easily access.
Reputable people such as village chiefs, elders, and elderly women also participate in mobilization, becoming "bridges" to bring policies to the people. At village meetings, practical stories and life experiences are shared to help young people absorb them more easily.
Towards the goal of eliminating child marriage by 2030, Pu Sam Cap commune continues to promote propaganda and implement Resolution No. 15 of the Lai Chau Provincial Party Committee for the period 2024 - 2030, gradually eliminating outdated customs, keeping children's dreams of learning in the great forest from being interrupted.
