From a once-arid stretch of land, the border commune of Dak Wil in Lam Dong Province has risen with remarkable strength thanks to the diligence and perseverance of local farmers. Spacious houses worth billions of dong now stand side by side, clear proof of the prosperity and transformation sweeping across this area.

These days, anyone traveling along the concrete road from Hamlet 7 to Doi May Hamlet in Dak Wil cannot help but be struck by the solid, imposing homes built close together. They are the sweet fruits of years of tireless labor by farmers in this border region.

Since July 1, 2025, the new border commune of Dak Wil has been established through the merger of the entire area and population of the former Dak Wil and Ea Po communes.

Following the merger, Dak Wil now has a population of more than 24,000 people and a natural area of over 515 square kilometers.

Trinh Van Duong, born in 1972 and residing in Hamlet 7, recalled that in 1995 he followed his family here to make a living. At that time, most of Hamlet 7 and neighboring hamlets were still dense forest. Life was extremely difficult, with shortages at every turn, and people mainly relied on hired labor to survive.

After many years of relentless work, Duong’s family managed to purchase several plots of farmland to grow durian and other fruit trees. Thanks to their hard work and rising agricultural prices, the family’s finances gradually stabilized.

In 2010, once they had accumulated some savings, the family decided to build a spacious home valued at more than VND1 billion (US$40,000), fully equipped with modern amenities.

In the 2025 harvest season, his more than two-hectare durian orchard yielded 25 tonnes of fruit. With a selling price of over VND50,000 per kilogram (US$2), after deducting investment costs, the family earned a profit of more than VND1 billion (US$40,000).

“In the coming years, if the weather remains favorable and output and prices continue to stay high as they have this year, the lives of farmers in this border region will certainly go even further,” Duong said with a smile.

Similarly, the family of Tran Thi Dung, born in 1978 and residing in Doi May Hamlet, is another example of rising out of poverty and building prosperity on this challenging land.

Dung said that in 1997 she followed her parents here to start a new life, later building her own family. After many years of working tirelessly on the fields with her husband and children, her family now owns more than two hectares of coffee and pepper.

In recent years, after each harvest and after deducting all expenses, Dung’s family has earned around VND300 million per year (approximately US$12,000). With this stable source of income, in 2022 the couple decided to build a spacious house worth nearly VND1 billion (US$40,000).

About a decade ago, she recalled, life was extremely hard. Each tonne of coffee sold for only a few dozen million dong, and despite a year of grueling labor, families could barely make ends meet. Life was uncertain and fragile.

“In recent years, thanks to higher agricultural prices, people have been very encouraged. Many households are now better off, spiritual life has clearly improved, and many families in these border hamlets have built solid homes,” Dung said.

A Dak Wil commune official said that in Hamlet 7 and Doi May Hamlet alone, there are many high-value houses, some of which were built years ago.

“Residents here mainly rely on farming. In recent years, thanks to higher prices and output of agricultural products, many large houses have been constructed. Some are worth several billion dong,” the official noted.

Images recorded in Hamlet 7 and Doi May Hamlet, Dak Wil border commune: