The secret to using Facebook for charity work of the Secretary of the Youth Union of a mountainous commune

In 2007, after being discharged from the army and returning to his hometown, Vy Van Quang actively participated in the Youth Union activities in Khe Trang Thuong village where he lived. Active and enthusiastic in the movements, he was elected by the Youth Union members to the commune Youth Union Executive Committee in 2009 and from 2015 to present, he has been the Youth Union Secretary of Tho Son commune.

Mr. Quang shared: Working in the Youth Union, having traveled a lot and seen difficult situations with his own eyes, he was very concerned. From reality and with his heart, from 2017 until now, he has directed the activities of the commune Youth Union to specific and meaningful volunteer work. The target is the disabled, the disadvantaged, poor students in the locality, thereby connecting with children in the countryside who work and study far from home, so that they can look towards their homeland and do meaningful things together. Especially recently, he has used Facebook to connect the community to do charity work, share difficulties with unfortunate lives, thereby receiving support from many Youth Union members, not only in the locality, but also spreading out in the province and the whole country.

Mr. Quang has called for help from many difficult circumstances in the area. Photo: Thai Hien

The first situation that Mr. Vi Van Quang called for support was the family of Nguyen Nghia Hieu in village 5, Tho Son commune, 6 years old this year. His father passed away when he was 2 years old and then his mother also left him and has not been in contact with him until now. Currently, he lives with his grandmother, Nguyen Thi Mui, who is also deaf and mute. The life of the two grandmothers and grandchildren is very difficult, living in a dilapidated house, which is flooded every time the rainy season comes. After just over a month of posting on Facebook, Mr. Quang called for support of more than 30 million VND, along with the district Fatherland Front supporting 20 million VND, the two grandmothers and grandchildren were able to build a new house before the Lunar New Year.

The donation box was placed by Mr. Quang at the Tho Son commune union office. Photo: Thai Hien

In recent days, when seeing the family situation of Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh, born in 1989 in village 11, Tho Son commune, extremely difficult: Ms. Linh has liver cancer, her husband, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Quang, has cerebral vascular occlusion. Mr. Quang's father, Nguyen Dinh Ngoi, is also suffering from an incurable disease. The family has spent all their money, borrowed money from everywhere to treat Ms. Linh to survive. On March 16, Mr. Quang posted on Facebook to call for support for Ms. Linh's family. Along with calling online, Mr. Quang also placed a donation box at the commune's Youth Union office. After only 4 days, by the end of March 20, Mr. Vi Van Quang had called for and mobilized 45 million VND for Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh's family.

Mr. Quang confided: When he first started, the biggest difficulty was that the number of supporters was still small, but he persistently posted about difficult situations and with his relationships, combined with the spread of social networks, in just a short time he received great support from Facebook users. To create trust and transparency for everyone about the money from benefactors, to giving gifts to the poor, he recorded, took pictures and made them public on his personal Facebook page. Thanks to this work, he received trust from everyone.

Mr. Vi Van Quang and other benefactors came to give gifts to Ms. Nguyen Thi Linh's family. Photo: Thai Hien

Sharing about his plans for the near future, Mr. Vi Van Quang said: Currently, there are still many cases in need of help in the area, but in the immediate future, he will continue to mobilize to build a new house for Mrs. Truong Thi Ly's family in village 9, who is in a very difficult situation when her husband left, leaving her alone to raise 3 small children. According to the plan, the new house will start construction this June.

With his heart and soul for humanitarian charity work, Mr. Vi Van Quang's work has contributed positively to social charity activities and poverty reduction programs in the locality. Mr. Vi Van Quang's enthusiastic and positive spirit for community life is truly a shining example that deserves to be commended.