Đặng Tòn Sểnh, left, advises local households about vaccinating cattle. — VNA/VNS Photo

TUYÊN QUANG — Đặng Tòn Sểnh, head of Khau Cau Village, Phúc Yên Commune, is known as a dynamic leader who has brought positive changes to the locality.

His dedication and good attitude towards the people has helped many from Dao ethnic group in Lâm Bình District, Tuyên Quang Province escape poverty. 

There are 120 households  in Khau Cau Village, mostly Dao people. Their main source of income is from breeding cattle.

In the past, salaries were low because residents had no idea about how to benefit from the application of science and technology in animal husbandry.

Sểnh told Tin Tức (News) newspaper that many buffaloes died from diseases, hunger and cold.

To have more knowledge about cattle breeding, Sểnh took part in training courses and then passed on his newly acquired knowledge to local households. 

He also went to individual homes to instruct people the best ways to keep the animals warm during winter. Thanks to that, buffaloes and cows grew fast, income improved and many households escaped poverty.

Triệu Tòn Trạn, a local resident said his family started raising buffalo in 2016.

At that time, he did not have any knowledge of animal husbandry, so the animals often became sick and would not grow properly.

In 2017, he decided to borrow money to buy more buffaloes and cows to raise after getting advice from Sểnh. 

He started building barns to keep the cattle warm in winter, store food and began to vaccinate the animals.

Each year, his family has an income of around VNĐ45 million from breeding.

Sểnh always tries to find ways to increase revenue for residents. Besides mobilising people to apply science and technology to animal husbandry and promoting economic development, Sểnh has also found support programmes and projects from the district and helped build better infrastructure for the village. 

Recently, he succeeded in securing funds to build a bridge over the local stream.

In the rainy season, ten households living across the stream are often isolated from the centre of the village due to high water levels and students cannot go to school.

"In 2020, during a training session on the World Vision Organisation's child care programme in the district, I called for donations to build a bridge over the stream and was approved," Sểnh said. 

"The bridge was built with this organisation's support and the contribution from the local people." 

With his efforts and contribution, husbandry is thriving in the commune. Many households have become much better off thanks to cattle breeding.

"If you want to mobilise people to develop breeding, you and your family must be an example first and must understand clearly the guidelines and the State's support policies to disseminate and help people understand and implement," Sểnh said. 

But his work doesn't stop now. He is determined to work with the local government to call for more support to allow local residents build roads and establish a group to raise black pigs using an organic breeding model to develop the local economy. — VNS