The “Highway” of the village
Bo 1 village located in Phan Me commune, Phu Luong district has 124 households with 459 people. Among them, about 62.5% of the population is ethnic minorities people. The infrastructures of the village are in deficiency condition, especially, most of the inner-village roads have not been concreted. The inner-field road from Dap bridge to Mr. Phat’s house is the border of the field, however, it also is one of the most important roads for the transportation and production of the local people. This road was very narrow and unstable because it located between two plots of the field, so it is very difficult for both motor and rudimentary vehicles to reach the field. In addition, the transportation of fertilizers, rice, and vegetables to the field and back consumed too much time and efforts.
The community-based group is taking a survey on the Bo 1 road
The people of Bo 1 village were impressed by all the results which brought to the locals by the Community management method while participating in the project. The village participated in the Initiative Fund in order to bring the new working method to their community. After the meeting for selecting priorities, the local people chose to construct the inner-village road from Dap bridge to Mr.Phat’s house to be their first sub-project. With the support of the project and the management board of the Initiative Fund, the road was expanded and upgraded to a macadam road, which is 500m in length, 2m in width and 0.8m thick with a 545m and 0.8m high embankment at the footing. The total expenditure of the sub-project was 111,280,000 VND, which included 35,000,000 VND from the Initiative Fund and 76,280,000 VND reciprocal contribution of local people (69,5% of the total). The new road has improved the transportation condition of 60 households with 195 people, in which there are 8 disadvantage families. Besides, this road also connects 2 main roads so there are about 500 people from the neighboring villages such as Giang, Hai Hoa, Phu Son, and Bun benefited from the road. Furthermore, the new road also helps to reduce the cost from struggling with the transportation of the product between the village and the field so the production of local people is now more favorable.
Local people are constructing the Bo 1 road
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa - A member of the community-based group of Bo 1 village shared: “The achievement of the sub-project is not just the satisfaction, but it is the happiness of the people. The beneficiaries are not only limited in the members of Bo 1 village but also expanded to other villages as well. The locals named it the “Highway” of Bo 1 village. There has been a rise in the number of people crossing the village because of the new road. Also, both motor and rudimentary vehicles can now go all the way to the field to work as well as to collect agricultural products so the production process is more effective.”
The sub-project attracted the participation of the local people, which included the people in the neighboring villages. Mr. Nguyen Van Hung - A member of Bo 1 village stated: “Even the people who hardly travel through the road also contributed labors in the construction of the road enthusiastically.”
The completed Bo 1 road
With the people in the remote area like in Bo 1 village, the village roads are always at the top of their priorities. The small muddy inner-village road of Bo 1 village had transformed to a wider and easier for the transportation of the people of Bo 1 village and other villages. The “Highway of Bo 1 village” was widely known by all the people in the neighborhood. With the completion of the road, we hope that there will be many more “Highway” like that appeared in the future with the application of the new self-management method.