Co Tu ethnic people have no more worries about a shortage of rice during flood seasons thanks to a community project.
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| A community rice warehouse in Bha’lua Hamlet, Lang Commune, Tay Giang District, Quang Nam Province |
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| People take rice from their community rice warehouses during emergency situations |
In 2008, authorities of the highland district of Tay Giang, Quang Nam Province, appealed to the people for building community rice warehouses in all 10 communes as well as in villages and hamlets because of the fact that when rainy seasons come, it’s very difficult to travel or transport food here due to landslides and floods.
Since then, after every crop, people here carry some of their harvested rice to contribute to the public warehouses.
Bhling Mia, chairman of the People’s Committee of Tay Giang District shared that in November 2007, six out of ten communes of the district were negatively impacted by big storms. Tr’Hy, A Xan, Ga Ry and Ch’om communes were isolated due to traffic congestion. Thousands of families and children did not have enough food. After that, the local authority had launched a movement in order to ensure food security for civilians during rainy seasons.
In 2009, due to storm No.9, Tay Giang District had been isolated by flood water for many days and suffered from landslides. By that time, many hamlets of border communes did not have enough food and relief teams could not access these areas to bring them food. Thanks to the community rice warehouses, the situation of rice shortages was not so severe.
According to Bhling Mia, the programme of building community rice warehouses here comes from the demand of the actual situation in the district as well as a movement of contributing rice for the “public rice fund” which existed a long time ago among Co Tu people.
Z’ram Hon living at A’Roh Hamlet, Lang Commune said, “Everyone is eager to contribute some of their rice to the warehouses. The amount of their contributed rice depends on the harvest results of each year and each family’s condition. The contributed rice of each hamlet is distributed to families having sick people or that are affected by natural disasters or lack of food due to harvest failure.”
The Red Cross Association of Tay Giang District has taken responsibility of mobilising locals to join hands in building the community rice warehouses and managing the warehouses since 2008. The total amount of rice contributed by people from the whole district is about 10 tonnes of rice each year.
Bhling Mia added that the campaign was very unique, creative and practical. It has been very helpful for people here when 8 border communes of the district often have to deal with landslides and were isolated due to floods. “Thanks to the community rice warehouses, we do not have to worry about the food shortage anymore,” shared Bhling Mia.
Local people and authorities had been experiencing the effectiveness and benefit of building the community rice warehouses since storm No. 9 occurred in 2009.
Given its success, the People’s Committee of Tay Giang District is currently directing communes, hamlets and the Red Cross Association to continue appealing to local people and social resources for further developing the movement of building “community rice warehouses”.
The rice warehouses have helped people here to overcome difficulties in lacking rice and the campaign is also a way to develop community relations, preserve solidarity and tradition among Co Tu people.