Many families in Muong Lum have escaped poverty by following Mr. Men’s example

Mr. Men is of Thai ethnicity and has been trusted by his community to serve as a “respected person”since 2012. To him, this role is not merely a title; it entails a responsibility toward the community and he believes that to earn the people’s trust, he must first lead by example.

Muong Lum village comprises 157 households, all of which are of the Thai ethnic group. The village was formed through the merger of three settlements, including one relocated from the former Muong La district to make way for the construction of the Son La Hydropower Plant. Changes in living arrangements, production conditions and daily life, affecting both long-time residents and newcomers have made building community consensus increasingly important.

Under those circumstances, Mr. Men, together with the Party committee, local authorities and village officials, regularly disseminated information and encouraged the villagers to implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws. When there are complicated cases, complaints or issues that easily cause disunity, he and the government reconcile, find ways for people to understand each other and maintain neighborliness. But perhaps, Mr. Men’s most effective way to persuade is not with good words but with the things his family needs to do first.

He boldly shifted from small-scale production to developing a market-oriented economy. Cultivating fruit trees combined with raising fish, livestock and poultry has provided the family with a stable income. Notably, his family pioneered the production of Mac Duoi rice which meets OCOP standards, at the same time undertaking the management and protection of 16 hectares of protection forest. They regularly inspect and safeguard the forest to prevent fires and illegal logging, receiving forest environmental service payments in accordance with regulations.

As the family’s business model proved successful, they began assisting five to eight other households in the village each year with capital and employment opportunities. Inspired by these tangible results, fellow villagers gradually placed their trust in the approach and adopted it themselves. Up to now, every household in the village has transitioned from maize cultivation to growing perennial fruit trees, combined with livestock and poultry farming as well as forest management and protection, thereby stabilizing their incomes and successfully escaping poverty.

Beyond encouraging fellow villagers to engage in economic development, Mr. Men also actively participates in the “New Rural Area” construction program. Working alongside local officials, he mobilized residents to donate land and contribute funds and labor to build 1,500 meters of concrete village roads, as well as to repair irrigation canals, thereby ensuring a reliable water supply for 15 hectares of rice paddies to support two crops annually.

Regarding education, 100% of school-age children in the village attend school, with no instances of students dropping out. In terms of maintaining security and public order, he collaborates with the commune police and the village head to disseminate legal information, reading news to residents and encouraging the community to prevent drug abuse and participate in the “All People Protecting National Security” movement.

Thanks to the local people's proactive shift toward commodity-oriented production, Muong Lum has successfully emerged from a state of extreme hardship. Mr. Men played a significant role in this collective achievement; his pioneering efforts paved the way for the community to pursue sustainable development; at the same time demonstrating that true credibility is earned only through concrete, practical actions.

However, according to Mr. Men, there are still challenges in leveraging the role of “respected people”. At times, they do not receive information in a timely manner; furthermore, some are elderly or in poor health, making it difficult for them to access technology and new knowledge. Meanwhile, commune officials often hold multiple responsibilities, so the support provided to these individuals is not always consistent...

Based on the situation in Muong Lum, Mr. Men believes it is essential to place greater emphasis on equipping “respected people” with information, knowledge, legal understanding and skills. At the same time, there is a need to select and cultivate a new generation of such respected people, individuals who are well-versed in traditional culture yet possess modern knowledge, dynamism, and creativity. This is because, in highland villages, the outcome is vastly different when a trusted community member steps forward to explain an issue and then leads by example.

From planting trees, protecting forests and building roads to ensuring children attend school and keeping the village peaceful, Mr. Men exemplifies the role of a respected people and the power of an accessible approach to advocacy: speak to what the people need to hear, focus on actions they can actually undertake and lead by example so they trust and follow suit./.