The story of a man who always meddles in other people's affairs.
(Baonghean.vn) - In Thai Hoa town, almost everyone knows Cao Huy Chung. He is a down-to-earth, straightforward man who is always enthusiastic about helping others with rare kindness.
Ordinary things
"Normal" was probably the most frequently repeated phrase in my conversation with Mr. Cao Huy Chung (born in 1974). He spoke about the work he had done with a calm demeanor, as if it were a matter of course, as if everyone would do the same...
For many years, the people of Thai Hoa have become familiar with the sight of Mr. Chung carrying tools such as rakes, hoes, shovels, wheelbarrows, brooms, and gloves... cleaning up garbage in the streets, dredging sewers, and removing trash from the lake... Undeterred by the stench and dirt, thanks to his cleaning efforts and the placement of "no dumping" signs, many illegal dumping spots in the town have been eliminated. Mr. Chung is also the one who has persistently cleaned up the lotus pond in the town for many years; recently, he called on organizations and businesses to remove the water hyacinths from the pond, restoring a clean environment to this area.
Explaining his particular concern for the landscape and environment, Mr. Chung said: "People are not yet aware of environmental protection, so they litter indiscriminately, and the sanitation workers can't handle it all. I decided to clean up the trash myself, firstly so that I and everyone else can feel comfortable enjoying the cleanliness and freshness, and secondly to change people's littering habits."
Due to the nature of his work requiring frequent travel, if he happens to encounter dangerous potholes on the road, he also takes on the task of "patching the road" or putting up warning signs. Having traveled to many places and met many people, Mr. Chung has developed a "reflex": asking around and gathering information about families and individuals in difficult circumstances. If possible, he will immediately use all his money to help them; if necessary, he saves their addresses to share with other philanthropists.
During the Covid-19 outbreak, he proactively bought disinfectant and sprayed it in crowded public places such as bus stations and ATMs. When face masks were scarce, he searched for them to distribute free of charge to the public. After receiving calls for help from families in quarantine, he went out in the middle of the night to buy essential supplies, spray disinfectant, and distribute them for free to complete strangers.
During the periodflash floodIn 2022, during a historical event in Ky Son, he personally used his own money to rent cranes and excavators, and brought food to the most severely affected areas to support the people for 10 consecutive days.
With the philosophy that life is about sharing, Mr. Chung always puts himself in a position to readily help people anywhere, anytime.
If I can't help myself, I'll seek help from others. Many times I've persuaded suppliers to offer discounts and special deals to those in need. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they have to beg, and nobody wants to go through the trouble and inconvenience, but if I don't help, I'll feel very guilty and uneasy.
Mr. Chung can't remember all the cases he's helped, can't count the number of charitable programs he's participated in, and can't quantify the value of his contributions… “I had a difficult childhood, lacking affection because my parents separated, I was abused, I used to collect scrap metal to make a living in a foreign land, and I was cheated out of all my money by friends… Looking back on those years, I feel incredibly lucky to be alive now, with the health to work and a loving family. Because I don't want anyone to go through the hardships and sorrows I experienced, I will try my best to help people to the best of my ability,” Mr. Chung shared.
"Ignite" kindness
In stories about Mr. Chung, the story of him placing free ice water dispensers in densely populated areas was once mentioned by the people of Thai Hoa town as a humorous anecdote.
The story goes that, during the hot summer, Mr. Chung personally bought and placed free ice water dispensers in busy areas of the town. At each location, he "invested" in a sun umbrella, a table, a water dispenser, an ice cooler, and left his phone number for people to call when they ran out of water. The "project" had only been in operation for a few days when both he and the people were shocked by the problem of theft. Some places had their umbrellas stolen, others their ice coolers, and still others their water bottles… Many people advised him to abandon the idea, feeling sorry for him for the wasted effort and resources. But no, Mr. Chung was determined to see his plan through.
He said, "Whatever they take today, I'll buy a replacement tomorrow. If they keep stealing, I'll keep ordering more, until the thieves get tired of stealing and their conscience improves."
After some time, his extraordinary persistence finally paid off. People stopped stealing, and those free cool water containers became a source of pride for Thai Hoa town for a long time. It wasn't until the Covid-19 pandemic that Mr. Chung stopped this model to limit the spread of the disease.
His somewhat "stubborn" kindness has changed not just one or a few people. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa Ly, Vice Principal of Nghia Duc Primary School in Nghia Dan, shared: "I met Mr. Chung six years ago when I posted a plea for help for my students. After reading my post, Mr. Chung shared it and contacted me to help this student. He told me to let him know if there were any difficult circumstances, and he would help to the best of his ability. And he did exactly as he said. For the past six years, he has supported many orphaned students and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Every Mid-Autumn Festival and Tet (Lunar New Year), he proactively prepares gifts for them thoughtfully. This thoughtfulness is also evident in many other charitable activities. He never shies away from difficulties or hardships, always takes care in every detail, always thinks of others, and is willing to sacrifice his own interests. We learn and are inspired by him a great deal."
In Mr. Chung's charitable activities, a special character often appears: his son, Cao Huy Hoang (commonly known as Teo). Besides attending school, Teo accompanies his father to clean up trash, fill potholes, and distribute charitable gifts to those in need. Since learning to ride a bicycle, Teo has been "trained" by his father to collect scrap materials near their home. These scrap materials are sold for money, and at the end of the month, all the proceeds are used to buy instant noodles and other necessities to donate to those in need.
If those places were nearby, Tèo would go by himself; if they were far away, Chung would drive him. Witnessing this activity gave me the idea to create a charity fund from recycled materials for my school. Students could collect scrap paper, put it in a shared bin at school, and when it was full, sell it to buy rice for orphaned children.
Thanks to Mr. Chung's sharing and appeals, many philanthropists, businesses, and individuals have joined forces to carry out many meaningful and practical charitable programs for the community. His actions have also spread and positively influenced many people, such as the habit of cleaning and beautifying the local landscape. Many people think that someone who dedicates so much of their time to charity and helping others must be very wealthy and have plenty of free time. For Mr. Chung, that wealth lies in kindness. From his kindness, he has ignited and spread kindness to many others.
