From the resources of investment from the central and local government, the spiritual and material lives of Khmer people in the Southwest region have been increasingly improved.
Economic development is the priority for investment
Thanks to the consideration of the Central Committees and branches, the lives of Khmer people in the Southwest region have currently prospered. Their material and spiritual lives have been increasingly improved.
The Khmer ethnic region has always been given priority to invest and improve its infrastructure system. The residents are supported to develop production, create job opportunities, and improve spiritual and material lives, significantly reducing poverty. The customs and habits of the Khmer people are always preserved and promoted.
The programs of new rural construction, poverty reduction (135), and rural development in mountainous areas have supported the development of the ethnic minority’s lives.
Tra Vinh is a province with over 300,000 Khmer people, ranking second in the Mekong Delta (follow Soc Trang province). Thanks to the above programs, more than 10,000 Khmer households have escaped from poverty over the past three years.
Mr. Ha Thanh Son, Deputy Head of Tra Vinh Provincial Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, said: “With a budget of over VND 250 billion from the Program 135’s capital, in the period of 2016-2020, the province has invested infrastructure for the poor communes, specifically building 308 works, maintaining 122 works, besides that implement 261 production development projects, replicate the model for over 2,700 households and organize 186 training courses to improve the capacity for the staff and community with more than 11,600 people.
To support socio-economic development in the ethnic minority areas, in the period of 2018 – 2019, the province was funded VND 46 billion by the central government to support loans for a job change, creating job opportunities. The fund was disbursed to 1,430 ethnic minority households. Especially, the investment in 2020 was VND 7 billion.
Thanks to the unsecured loan from the Women’s Union, the family of Mrs. Thach Thi Mai (Can Nom Hamlet, Truong Tho commune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Vinh province) has risen out of poverty by raising cows and growing rice crops. Mrs. Mai shared that her family’s life had been so hard before, the income from 0.7 hectares of rice field was not enough to meet the family’s needs. She and her husband had to work as seasonal workers to earn more income to cover their lives. For six years being facilitated by the Women’s Union of Truong Tho Commune, Mrs. Mai boldly borrowed VND 20 million from the Transaction Office of the Bank for Social Policies of Truong Tho district to invest in cow farming. In addition, she was also supported nearly VND 4 million by the revolving fund group to cover the cost of the rice production season.
Every day, besides taking her children to school, Mrs. Mai takes advantage of cutting grass to feed the cows and making use of post-harvest straws to raise livestock. As a result, each year, she earns tens of millions from selling cows. In the near future, in addition to actively taking care of her current cows, Mrs. Mai plans to use her long-term savings to build a new and stable house for her family.
In Kien Giang, according to the People’s Committee of Kien Giang province, with the central and local resources, over the past years, Kien Giang province has focused on investing in the implementation of programs, projects, schemes, and policies for the ethnic minority areas. Since then, the economy and society of ethnic minorities have constantly been developing. Residents’ lives have been gradually improved. 100% of communes in ethnic minority areas have rural roads to commune centers and health stations.
In addition, the national target programs on building new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction programs, etc., have been implemented, bringing practical effects. Currently, there have been no ethnic minorities that are hungry households in Kien Giang province. Moreover, the average rate of poor families per year decreases by over 3%.
Promote traditional art
Kien Giang province has 75 Khmer Theravada Buddhist temples, of which many temples have been renovated and repaired. Particularly, 8 Khmer temples and towers are ranked as historical and cultural relics (5 national and 3 provincial monuments). There are 5 Khmer temples included in the conservation projects out of 10 monuments in 2018, having a total capital of nearly VND 7.8 billion from the state budget.
In addition, the Culture and Sports sector has provided more than 100 sets of sounds and musical instruments, helping the art performance teams and 15 Khmer Theravada temples in the province to have means of operation. With the funds supported from the state budget and contributed by the people, up to now, the whole province has 24 out of 75 temples with Ngo boats to participate in sports activities of Ngo boat racing in festivals.
Traditional festivals of the Khmer and Chinese people are under the consideration of local authorities at all levels to create favorable conditions for organization and ensure the right regulations on the festival organization in the spirit of safety, thrift, and conformity with the fine customs and the conditions of each locality.
Established in 2012, the Department of Arts under the Faculty of Southern Khmer Language – Culture – Art of Tra Vinh University has actively contributed to the preservation and promotion of Southern Khmer art in Tra Vinh province.
Mr. Son Cao Thang, Deputy Head of the Arts Department – Tra Vinh University, said: “The Department of Arts is one of four units under the Faculty of Southern Khmer Language – Culture – Art, jointly performing the national key task assigned by the Prime Minister, on training human resources for Southern Khmer Language, Culture and Art, meeting the needs of socio-cultural development in the South.
Two undergraduate programs under the Department of Arts are Traditional Instrumental Performance and Musicology. In addition, the department develops short-term training programs in Traditional Instrumental Performance, Musicology, Organ, Khmer Folk Dance, etc., providing a variety of training forms for learners to access, meeting the learning needs of the community easily.
In particular, applying in the major of Traditional musical instrument performance, students are exempted from 100% of tuition fees, supported living expenses of VND 450,000 per month for each student (10 months per academic year), free of dormitory charge (excluding the costs of electricity, water…) and accessed other preferential policies according to current regulations. Students are trained in music knowledge, practice skills in performance, editing, and staging programs for ethnic traditional music performances during their course.
The Department of Arts has attracted many young generations, Khmer children, and music lovers from provinces in the South, including Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, An Giang, Hau Giang. The number of students after graduation and have jobs in art troupes inside and outside the province, such as Anh Binh Minh Khmer Art Troupe, Ca Mau Khmer Art Troupe, Vinh Long Arts and Culture Center.
It can be seen that the traditional Instrumental Performance and Musicology majors of the Art Department of Tra Vinh University play an active role in preserving and promoting Southern Khmer art.
Tra Vinh builds hybrid goat farming model
From the budget of the rural mountainous project, the project: “Transferring technical advances and building hybrid goat farming model (Boer x Bach Thao) in Tra Vinh province” brings high economic efficiency to the local community.
The project is implemented under the coordination of the Institute of Resource Development (Tra Vinh University) and the Center for Biotechnology and Livestock (Southern Livestock Sub-Institute).
Over the past time, the project has transferred, received technical processes of goat raising that are suitable to the conditions of Tra Vinh province for 19 households and built a model at Tra Vinh University.
The application of the right technical process has brought economic efficiency to the households participating in the hybrid goat breeding model (Bach Thao x Boer). In particular, the project has been implemented in areas where many Khmer people live and in coastal areas that are heavily affected by sea-level rise and climate change.
My Nhien
