Located beside the poetic Cu De River and surrounded by lush green hills, Nam Yen Village, Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, has long become an attractive destination for tourists from near and far. Since the implementation of the community-based tourism model, the villagers have become more conscious of protecting the environment and building a peaceful, beautiful life.

Mr. Ho Tang Hoc, the Head of Nam Yen Village, stated that there are currently about 500 households living in the village, including nearly 60 impoverished ones. Most of the poor households consist of elderly people who are unable to work. Each year, the village strives to reduce poverty for 5-7 households with working capacity by encouraging participation in agricultural labour export programmes to South Korea.

Since the beginning of the year, over 10 villagers have gone to South Korea for agricultural labour, and after three months of working, each person has saved about VND 80 million after expenses.

For households with no working capacity, the local authorities and social organisations assist by providing livelihoods such as livestock like cows and chickens, and they also collaborate in repairing and building new houses.

In addition, the village encourages residents to switch to cultivating fruit trees such as pomelos, guavas, and bananas to serve tourists. Currently, 5 to 7 gardens are already yielding produce, bringing in high returns.

To maintain a clean and beautiful village, Nam Yen Village annually registers 1 to 2 model roads for planting trees such as Lagerstroemia, areca palms, and pink trumpets.

This year, the village planted 110 new tropical almond trees, contributing to more greenery and shade in the locality. Simultaneously, local associations regularly organise clean-up campaigns in the alleys and hold cycling events to raise awareness among villagers about protecting the environment.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thien Tu, the Secretary of Nam Yen Village’s Youth Union, said that by promoting the proactive role of youth union members, the union frequently mobilises young people to participate in activities such as cleaning up the model roads, donating blood, and supporting those affected by storms and floods.

In addition, the Women’s Union of Nam Yen Village plays a key role in protecting the environment. Ms. Ho Thi Gai, the Chairwoman of the Women’s Union in the village, stated that the union regularly integrated environmental education for its members, encouraging them to sort waste at the source. Non-decomposable waste is disposed of in separate bins, organic waste is used as fertiliser, and recyclable waste is collected and sold to raise funds. The union is currently assisting two humanitarian cases, one of whom is a blind person, and the other has been affected by Agent Orange.

"In addition to providing essential items from the savings fund, the union has established the 'Compassionate Rice Jar' model to provide monthly rice support to these two disadvantaged households. Each union member contributes a small amount of rice when they grind their grains, placing it into the 'Compassionate Rice Jar.' At the end of the month, the union delivers the rice to these two families, providing an average of 10kg of rice per household per month. Members who grow fruit trees also participate in the cooperative group that sells agricultural products to tourists at homestays, helping to promote the sale of local produce," Ms. Gai shared.

Currently, there are about 15 households engaged in tourism businesses in the village. Many households have expanded their services by opening Quang noodle shops, coffee shops, and sugarcane juice stalls, thus helping villagers earn additional income and improve their lives.

Reporting by DOAN HAO LUONG - Translating by TRUC VY