In the days leading up to the 11th Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, term 2026–2031, in the year-round cloud-covered Y Ty border region, Ms. Ly Gia So brought pride, emotion and many expectations of ethnic minorities here to the great festival of the great national unity bloc.
As a daughter of the Ha Nhi ethnic group, attached to her youth with the border mountains and forests, she understands more than anyone the changes in her homeland over the years.
Roads that were once muddy in the rainy season are now wide open; schools, health stations, electricity, and domestic water are gradually present in many villages; people's material and spiritual lives are gradually being improved.
It is not only a change in the face of the highlands, but also a change in people's trust.
People clearly feel the concern of the Party, State and Fatherland Front. People are more confident in the future development of their homeland, believing that life will become better and better day by day," Ms. So shared.
Unable to hide her emotion when attending the Congress for the first time as a delegate representing ethnic minorities, she said that this is not only an honor for her personally but also a responsibility to bring the voice of people in border areas closer to all levels and sectors.
In the mind of that Ha Nhi woman, the Congress is not simply an important political event, but also a place to send the faith, aspirations and expectations of millions of people across the country.
In recent years, along with economic development, the preservation of national cultural identity in the highlands has also been given more attention.
Traditional festivals, languages, costumes, and customs of the Ha Nhi people and many other ethnic minorities are gradually preserved and maintained amidst modern life.
However, behind that bright color, there are still many feelings that make her feel remorseful.
In many highland villages, people's lives are still not over the hardships. Livelihoods are still precarious, agricultural production depends heavily on weather, while natural disasters and climate change are increasingly extreme, causing poverty to linger around the mountainside.
What worries Ms. So the most is the story of employment for ethnic minority youth.
Many young people after graduating are still struggling to find a direction; some leave their hometowns to work as hired laborers far from home, some stay but lack opportunities to develop right on their own homeland.
I hope that highland youth will have more opportunities to learn a trade, start a business, and be supported to confidently establish themselves and start a career. When young people have stable jobs, their homeland can develop sustainably," Ms. So confided.
Entering the new term, the female delegate from Ha Nhi hopes that the Vietnam Fatherland Front will continue to be the common home of the great national unity bloc; be closer to the people, listen more and accompany more practically with people in remote, isolated, and border areas.
Bringing the belief of people in border areas to the Congress, Ms. So said that she will continue to strive to play a good role as a bridge between the people and the Party Committee and government; mobilize people to preserve cultural identity, well comply with the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, and together nurture their homeland to become increasingly rich and beautiful.
