Night classroom lights in a difficult countryside
In the last days of 2025, when the farming work in village 20, Ea Rieng commune was temporarily quiet, the lights from the pig farming class still lit up regularly.
After a day of hard work in the fields, more than a dozen students - most of whom are young workers, in difficult circumstances, from ethnic minorities - gathered to class with the hope of gaining more knowledge to improve their lives.
Since November 2025, the Department of Culture - Social Affairs has coordinated with the Center for Vocational Education - Continuing Education of M'Drak and the village government to mobilize people to participate in pig farming training classes.
Organizing classes in the evening is considered a suitable solution, helping people both ensure daytime production and have the conditions to participate in vocational training.
When work ended the day, the young men and women in the village took the opportunity to go to class, bringing hope for a new direction for their family. The classroom space is therefore not only a place to absorb knowledge but also a place to share and encourage each other to overcome difficulties.
Giang Thi Mo (born in 2008) said that before, the villagers were mainly familiar with traditional agricultural production and rarely dared to try new industries. Thanks to the encouragement of the local government, I decided to register to attend a mechanical vocational class.
Previously, people were used to farming and rarely tried new industries. Thanks to the encouragement of the government, I decided to register to learn mechanical engineering. After the class, I am confident that I will have more knowledge to develop production and increase my income, Mo shared.
According to the students, most of the students from 2000 onwards are easy to share and support each other. The classroom atmosphere is always open and connected, creating motivation for students to persistently study until the end of the course.
Learning to do, learning to escape poverty
To facilitate people, the Vocational Education - Continuing Education Center has developed training content close to the actual needs of the locality, focusing on practice, making it easy for learners to absorb and can be applied immediately after the end of the course.
For pig farming, students are equipped with basic knowledge of barn construction techniques, breeding selection, care, feeding, pig herd management, disease prevention and effective production organization.
From this general knowledge, learners can continue to participate in short-term, intermediate training courses, or find jobs at farms, livestock businesses, and even organize production at home.
In reality, the knowledge learned not only helps people reduce production costs but also opens up opportunities to create more jobs on the spot.
Many students after the course have boldly invested in buying pigs for raising livestock, gradually improving their income and stabilizing their lives.
Ea Rieng commune currently has 1 hamlet in a particularly difficult situation, the rate of poor and near-poor households is still high.
In that context, organizing flexible vocational training classes over time not only has the meaning of simple vocational training but also creates a space for community activities, arousing the spirit of self-reliance and self-reliance among ethnic minorities.
According to local assessments, students who effectively apply knowledge after the course will create a spreading effect, encouraging other households to boldly participate in vocational training.
In addition to pig farming, local people are still attached to farming and mechanical farming; combining vocational training with the application of science and technology is expected to bring higher economic efficiency in the coming time.
The leader of Ea Rieng Commune People's Committee said that the locality hopes that after vocational training courses, some young workers will boldly open small farms or cooperate with businesses in providing seeds, consuming products, and gradually forming a stable production chain.
Pork farming is not only a livelihood to chew but also a way to help people escape poverty right in their homeland. When participating in vocational training together, people have the opportunity to exchange, share experiences and support each other in production, said Mr. Hoa Quang Binh - Head of the Department of Culture - Social Affairs of Ea Rieng commune.
According to Mr. Binh, the stories of overcoming difficulties from vocational training classes not only motivate learners but also spread the spirit of solidarity, contributing to the effective implementation of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, towards the goal of sustainable poverty reduction and long-term development.
