Two movements, one "for the people" goal in the Lai Chau border area - Part 2: Green-uniformed teacher accelerates digital transformation

Bringing technology to the village

Visiting and presenting gifts to families in the border area who were handed over new houses with Lai Chau Border Guard, we saw that in addition to essential household items such as blankets, mosquito nets, pots, pans, etc., the Border Guard also presented smartphones to some families. Accompanying the Provincial Border Guard, Viettel Lai Chau sent officers and employees to participate in presenting SIM cards.

Holding the phone that was just presented by Colonel Nguyen Van Hung, Deputy Commissar of the Military Command and Commissar of the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command, Ms. Cheo Ta May (35 years old, Dao ethnic group) in Nhom 2 village, Si Lo Lau commune was guided by officers of Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station and Viettel Lai Chau staff to install the sim card, register personal information and install some essential applications, such as: VNeID, Zalo... then asked Ms. May to directly use the operation to remember and write down the phone number and password of the applications on a piece of paper, in case she forgets.

Lieutenant Colonel Truong Minh Duc, Deputy Commander of the Military Command and Commander of the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command, shared: "To "eliminate digital illiteracy" for people, just instructing them is not enough, but there must be digital devices for them to use. Therefore, the Provincial Border Guard Command determined that technology must be brought to the village so that people can access technology, from which they can use digital applications."

Dao San Border Guard Station organizes propaganda about digital transformation and guides cadres and people in villages in Dao San commune to install applications.

As Mr. Duc said, in the highland border areas, people's lives are still very difficult. For many families, when food and clothing are still lacking, owning a smartphone is very difficult. According to the survey results conducted by Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard in coordination with local authorities, the border areas of the province have about 3,000 households without smartphones; 4 areas have weak and unstable phone, 3G, 4G signals; 3 areas have no phone, 3G, 4G signals.

To help people "eliminate illiteracy" about technology, from the launch of the "Digital Education for All" Movement (May 31, 2025) to mid-August 2025, the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command has given people 35 smartphones (worth 2 million VND/phone) and set a goal of giving people in border areas at least 200 phones... The funding for implementation comes from contributions from officers and employees of the provincial Border Guard and from mobilizing "benefactors" to support. Accompanying the provincial Border Guard, Viettel Lai Chau also committed to giving away sim cards and free 4G packages for 3 years; at the same time, upgrading telecommunications infrastructure to improve the quality of Viettel's 4G service.

Although the number of smartphones given by Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard to the people is "not enough", it is expected that it will spread to all levels and sectors so that there will be more basic digital devices, helping to "eliminate digital illiteracy" among the people; people will have conditions to access information, raise awareness, practically develop the socio-economy , and at the same time help the locality effectively transform digitally.

Officers from Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station went to Si Choang market, Si Lo Lau commune to guide people on how to use smartphones. Photo: DUC DUAN

Leaders of Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command presented smartphones to people of Si Lo Lau commune. Photo: DUC HIEU

"Eliminate digital illiteracy" with creative and effective models

Mu Ca is the most remote border commune of Lai Chau province, more than 200km from the provincial center to the commune. Mu Ca Border Guard Station manages Mu Ca commune with 8 villages, a population of less than 3,300 people but an area of nearly ^400km2 , with more than 5.6km of border. Although the area is large and traffic and travel are difficult, since the beginning of June 2025, every week, the "Green-uniformed teachers - Accelerating digital transformation" team of Mu Ca Border Guard Station, consisting of 5 young officers knowledgeable about technology, has the additional task of going to the villages to propagate, "eliminate digital illiteracy" and guide people in digital transformation.

Major Nguyen Van Phan, Chief of Mu Ca Border Guard Station, introduced: Implementing the direction of the Provincial Border Guard Command, we established the "Green-uniformed teachers - Accelerating digital transformation" team led by the Deputy Political Commissar of the Station. Every day, while helping people to remove temporary and dilapidated houses, during breaks, we take the opportunity to popularize digital knowledge to people such as instructions on how to use smartphones and online public services on VNeID software... Every week, in the evening, the team coordinates with the police force and the commune Youth Union to go to the villages to propagate about digital transformation, focusing on the following contents: Benefits of digital transformation and digital applications; instructions on how to use smartphones, use VNeID and anonymous email boxes to report crimes; How to use social networks safely (such as: Identifying legitimate social networking sites, being alert to scams on social networks, how to buy and sell online safely, guiding people to filter legitimate information on the internet, not posting false information or unverified information on social networks)...

It is known that the model of the "Green-uniformed teachers - Accelerating digital transformation" team originated from Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station. In February 2025, the Station deployed this model to improve the effectiveness of propaganda and dissemination of laws to the people. Major Pham Minh Tri, Political Commissar of Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station, said: The team consists of 4 enthusiastic young cadres who are knowledgeable about technology, and are assigned to each specific task, such as: Designing electronic documents, billboards, brochures; making video clips; managing community Zalo groups, fanpages; directly instructing people on digital skills (looking up procedures, sending reports of violations, accessing public services)...

Not only the "Green-uniformed teachers - Accelerating digital transformation" team, Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station also built and effectively deployed the model of "Anonymous email box to report crimes and illegal entry and exit". Accordingly, the station's staff group built an anonymous email box and created a QR code. Next, the unit printed hundreds of sheets with QR codes and posted them in public places (village cultural houses, markets, schools, medical stations and places where people often pass by). People only need to use their smartphones to scan the QR code and will be directed to a simple electronic form to provide information on reporting crimes, reflecting the security and order situation. This method absolutely keeps the identity of the whistleblower confidential.

The "Digital Education for All" movement has been responded to by the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard with a high sense of responsibility and many creative ways, first of all for the prosperous and happy life of the people in the border areas. From the two effective models of Vang Ma Chai Border Guard Station, in early June 2025, the Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard Command (now the Provincial Border Guard Command) directed its subordinate agencies and units to learn and immediately deploy the "Green-uniformed teacher - Accelerating digital transformation" and "Anonymous email box" (upgraded with the feature of attaching videos and images to increase the authenticity of the news). Currently, these two models have spread widely throughout the Border Guard force.

Faced with the fact that awareness of digital transformation and digital skills of people in border areas is limited, Lai Chau Provincial Border Guard has thoroughly grasped the viewpoint of putting people at the center, "leaving no one behind". Officers and soldiers of the unit are persistently and persistently popularizing technology, knowledge, and digital skills, accelerating "eliminating digital illiteracy" for people.

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Article and photos: Group of reporters, National Defense - Security contributors

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