Military-run Vietnamese mobile network operator Viettel in coordination with People’s Committee of the northern province of Cao Bang and Border Guard Steering Committee yesterday held a ceremony to give seeding cows to poor residents in the province’s Trung Khanh District.
State President Truong Tan Sang and representative of the program “Bo Giong Giup Nguoi ngheo bien gioi” (Seeding cow for border poor residents) handed over 50 cows to disadvantaged people in Chi vien, Dam Thuy, and Phong Nam of Trung Khanh District of Cao Bang Province.
Each one year old seeding cow weighing from 130 kilogram worth VND50 million (US$2,340) will help residents stabilize and improve their family economy.
To support residents in breeding cows, Viettel Corporation also gave each family a mobile phone for connecting the steering board when they need guideline. In addition, Viettel Corporation provided 20,000 tons of cement for building and upgrading farm houses.
Speaking at the ceremony, the President highly appreciated the program giving cows to disadvantaged residents and Viettel Corporation’s contribution, stressing that the border crossings play an important role in protecting the country’s sovereignty; accordingly the country should help border people to escape poverty.
Local authorities should be quick to provide cement to residents for constructing houses and farms, he added.
The program launched by State President Truong Tan Sang who assigned it to the High Command of Border Guard; Viettel Corporation and related ministries and agencies and people’s committees in northern provinces to implement from June, 2014. Funding for the program will be sponsored by Viettel Corporation. Benefactors are encouraged to participate in the program by using Viettel services.
Officially launched in June, 2014, the program targets to give 7,500 cows to disadvantaged households in the border crossings by year-end. It is scheduled to offer 24,000 cows to households in the poverty line in 11 northern border provinces including Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Yen Bai by October 2016.
