Bringing a warm Tet to the poor people in the highlands of Nghe An

* Implementing the directives of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee on providing warm clothes for children in extremely disadvantaged communes in ethnic minority areas, from January 17-19, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs coordinated with the districts of Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Que Phong, and Quy Hop to give gifts to disadvantaged children in the area.

Comrade Bui Van Hung presents gifts to poor children. Photo: SLĐCC

The total number of gifts supported is 800, each gift is worth an average of 500,000 VND. The gifts are warm clothes, cotton socks, and socks to help children have essential items during the winter.

Meaningful gifts given to children in mountainous areas. Photo: SLĐCC

Mr. Bui Van Hung - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said: This is a meaningful activity right before the New Year, because children in remote areas, especially those in particularly difficult circumstances, generally do not have enough food and clothing. Giving gifts of warm clothes, socks and even blankets are extremely practical gifts, to share the difficulties with poor children, hoping that they will have a warmer Tet.

* Also in the past few days, the Provincial Border Guard and the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee coordinated to organize the program "Border Spring - Warming the hearts of the villagers" on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of Quy Mao 2023 in My Ly commune (Ky Son) and Nhon Mai commune (Tuong Duong).

The program has given 1,270 Tet gifts to the people; given 6 "Great Solidarity" houses, 1 model of goat breeding livelihood, given 45 Tet gifts to prestigious people and students in the program "Helping children go to school - Adopted children of border guards"; free medical examination and medicine, Chung cake wrapping contest for poor people, folk games, cultural exchange of ethnic groups on the border... with a total cost of more than 1.1 billion VND.

My Ly commune is 50 km from the center of Ky Son district, sharing a national border with Laos of 44.668 km. The commune has a natural area of ​​27,044.03 ha; with 1,221 households/5,563 people; there are 4 ethnic groups living together (of which, Thai ethnic group accounts for more than 80%; Mong ethnic group 10%; Kho Mu, Kinh and other ethnic groups nearly 10%).

Colonel Nguyen Cong Luc - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Commander of Nghe An Border Guard presented Tet gifts to poor households in the border area. Photo: Le Thach.

My Ly commune has 12 villages including: 8 Thai villages, 3 Mong villages, 1 Kho Mu village. The infrastructure is still lacking, of which, only 3/12 villages have national grid electricity, the remaining 9 villages do not have electricity; only 4/12 villages can communicate and exchange information via mobile phones, the remaining 8 villages do not have phone signal. People's lives depend on income from farming and raising livestock. The lives of the majority of households are still very difficult and deprived. According to the latest statistics, the whole commune has up to 936 poor and near-poor households, accounting for 76.5%.

Participating in the program "Spring on the Border - Warming the hearts of the villagers", Mr. Luong Xuan Hoa in Xieng Tren village, My Ly commune happily said: "After several years of being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, all activities and lives of the people were greatly affected, especially crowded activities were not organized. Now that the pandemic has been controlled, our villagers can participate in the activities to celebrate Tet and welcome Spring organized by the Border Guard and the Vietnam Fatherland Front. We are very happy and excited. In particular, we also received Tet gifts, medical examination, treatment, and health care. Our villagers will celebrate the traditional Tet holiday more warmly, fully, and happily...".

My Ly Border Guard Station gives rice to poor households on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2023. Photo: Le Thach.

Nhon Mai Commune (Tuong Duong) has an area of ​​21,346.40 hectares, with a 28.111 km border with Laos. The whole commune has a total of 849 households/3,974 people, belonging to 3 ethnic groups: Thai, Kho Mu, Mong, of which, 554 households are poor, 118 households are near-poor. The rate of poor and near-poor households here is 79.15%, even higher than My Ly commune.

Border guards coordinated with local authorities to organize a green banh chung festival to celebrate Tet and welcome spring in the border area. Photo: Le Thach.

In Nhon Mai commune, in addition to activities of giving Tet gifts, giving "Great Solidarity" houses, organizing cultural and artistic exchanges..., the Provincial Border Guard Medical Corps also coordinated with local medical forces to organize free medical examinations and provide medicine for more than 100 elderly people, children, and policy families.

In addition, it is also combined with propaganda activities, guiding people to clean up the environment, clear sewers; eat and live hygienically, ways to prevent and fight epidemics, take care of health; contributing to raising people's awareness in proactively maintaining personal, family and community health.

Mon Son Border Guard Station presented 65 Tet gifts to students of the Dan Lai ethnic minority. Photo: Le Thach.

After organizing the event in My Ly and Nhon Mai communes, the units coordinated with the locality and the twinned unit to organize the program "Border Spring - Warming the hearts of the villagers" in the locations where the border units were stationed.