Touching photo in Ayun and General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's care for the BahNar people

Return to Ayun

As soon as news of the General Secretary's passing came out, reporters from the Vietnam Agriculture Newspaper made a working trip to Ayun commune, hoping to record the feelings of the local people towards the General Secretary.

During previous trips to Ayun, the journey involved navigating a bumpy mountain pass that was extremely difficult to travel. Standing on the top of Ayun Pass, one could look at a basin with barren fields writhing under the scorching sun pouring down on the ground.

Now, Ayun has changed. That change is thanks to a special trip, by a special person to visit the heroic commune of Ayun.

It was mid-April 2017.

During that time, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visited the BahNar people in the remote commune of Ayun in Chu Se district, Gia Lai province. In addition to working with the commune leaders, the General Secretary spent most of his time visiting each house, visiting and encouraging the elderly, people with meritorious services, and some village elders in the commune.

After listening to the aspirations of the cadres and people of Ayun commune, the General Secretary directed the Government, central ministries, branches, and Gia Lai province to prioritize capital allocation to implement the Plei Keo irrigation project soon to provide water for people in agricultural production.

Accordingly, the Plei Keo irrigation project has a total investment of nearly 120 billion VND, invested by the Chu Se District People's Committee. The project has the capacity to irrigate about 500 hectares of crops, including 400 hectares of two-crop rice and 100 hectares of other crops. The project is divided into two phases: phase 1 involves building a dam, and phase 2 involves investing in the main canal system, which has a total length of over 15km.

Since the Plei Keo irrigation project was built, the commune has regularly promoted and encouraged people to change their thinking and working methods and take advantage of the project's water resources to develop production. In addition, the district has also devoted many resources to building pilot models of two-crop rice production, supporting seeds and fertilizers, and guiding people on farming techniques.

Thanks to that, more than 300 hectares of single-crop rice, which is often affected by drought, have been converted to double-crop rice production. Rice's productivity and output are superior to before, and people's lives are more stable, contributing significantly to the local hunger eradication and poverty reduction work.

In addition to providing water for the parched fields, the Plei Keo irrigation project has provided a water source for the local people's daily lives. The BahNar people have been forever freed from the drought along the Ayun River; teachers no longer have to buy cans of water to bring to school every weekend when they return home; the buffaloes and cows here are also fatter thanks to the lush green pastures.

With just one visit to Ayun by the General Secretary, this remote commune suddenly turned around and changed miraculously!

General Secretary in the hearts of BahNar people

“In the past, the villagers’ lives were complicated. Production mainly relied on rainwater, so there was not enough food, and famine often occurred. I was very excited when I heard that the General Secretary had visited and given people a special gift - the Plei Keo irrigation project. Since the Plei Keo irrigation project brought water from the Ayun River to the shore and up the mountain, the people have learned to grow two wet rice crops. Thanks to that, their lives have improved, the people no longer worry about hunger, and many households harvest hundreds of bags of rice for each crop. The gratitude of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to the BahNar people in this Ayun commune is extremely great,” Mr. A Nhur said emotionally.

As for village elder Dinh Mioch (Achong village), he said, “Personally, I, as well as the people in the commune, are very grateful to the Party and the State, especially the affection of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for the people of Ayun. Thanks to the Plei Keo irrigation project, the villagers no longer have to worry about hunger, their lives are increasingly stable. We villagers promise to wholeheartedly follow the Party, unite to help each other develop the economy, gradually reduce poverty sustainably, and build a commune that meets new rural standards in the near future.”

Without saying much or big things, just once visiting the people in Ayun commune, with the responsibility of a leader, a compassionate heart, and a sharp mind, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong left a good impression in the hearts of the people here.

The gift from the General Secretary to the General Secretary gifted the fields once called "fire pans," irrigating the souls of the BahNar people in Ayun commune and the entire community of ethnic groups living on this majestic Central Highlands land.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hop: "In the coming time, the commune will continue to propagate and mobilize people to change the appropriate crop structure, maximize the irrigation capacity from the meaningful project donated by the General Secretary. From now on, Ayun will have lush green fields, bringing high economic value, gradually developing the economy, and building new rural areas as the General Secretary's wishes."