Desolate scene in Youth Village after 16 years

Accordingly, the Song Chang Entrepreneurial Youth Village project (abbreviated as Song Chang Youth Volunteer Village), invested by Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union, was implemented in 2008, on an area of 600 hectares (in Xuan commune). Hoa, Nhu Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province). Photo: Quach Du

The project has a total investment capital of more than 32 billion VND. The goal of the project is to encourage and attract young people in many places to volunteer to establish long-term careers. Photo: Quach Du

Initially, the project is expected to attract about 150 young households to live. Each union member and youth union member's family, when settling in Song Chang Youth Union Village, will be granted 400 square meters of residential land, 3.2 hectares of farming land and many other support policies. Photo: Quach Du

Due to the "attractiveness" of the project's initial policies, at one time, Song Chang NLF Village had more than 140 households coming to build houses, live and enthusiastically compete in production. Photo: Quach Du

However, after a few years, production and business were not effective and land use rights certificates were not granted, so many people became discouraged, rented them out, and moved to another place to work. Photo: Quach Du

Talking to Labor, Mr. Le Van Tuyen - Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuan Hoa commune, Nhu Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province said that after nearly 10 years of project implementation, (from 2008 to September 2017), Chairman of Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee Hoa signed the Decision to establish Thanh Nien village, Xuan Hoa commune on the basis of the residential cluster of Song Chang NLF Village. Photo: Quach Du

“Since implementing the project, after 16 years, the entire Thanh Nien village now has 90 households, however the number of households currently in the locality to do business and live is only more than 60 households, the rest have gone to work far away. ” - Mr. Tuyen informed. Photo: Quach Du

Also according to the Chairman of Xuan Hoa Commune People's Committee, up to now, people are managed by the locality, but land is still under the authority of Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union. Currently, the biggest difficulty for households in Thanh Nien Village is that they have not been granted a Land Use Rights Certificate, even though they have lived and worked here for many years. Photo: Quach Du

In addition, the facilities at the Cultural Center of Song Chang Youth Volunteer Village are currently seriously degraded and damaged. Photo: Quach Du

The rows of houses in the Cultural Center of Song Chang Volunteer Village were invested and built spaciously but are now deserted and abandoned. Photo: Quach Du