Nghe An strives to ensure a happy Tet holiday for war veterans and the poor.

Warmth and affection

On New Year's Day, the home of Mr. Le Van Long, a disabled veteran (category 1/4) in Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen district, was filled with laughter as his children and grandchildren returned home. Mr. Long said: “After a lifetime in the military, returning to my hometown, I get to live in the warmth of community and enjoy time with my children and grandchildren. Especially, I am very happy to receive the attention of the local government and social organizations.”

His wife, Ms. Doan Thi Thoi, is also a disabled veteran (category 4/4). Because both husband and wife are in poor health, whenever they are ill or the weather changes, Mr. Long always receives care and attention from his neighbors and the local government. Each time he has to go to the hospital to treat a recurring injury, the commune sends someone to visit and provide material and emotional support. Every Tet holiday, the gifts they receive are always full of heartfelt kindness.

Mr. Long stated that not only he and his wife are beneficiaries of these policies in the commune, but all 165 people who have rendered meritorious service and those receiving similar benefits have received attention from the Party committee, government, and political and social organizations in the area.

Besides,near-poor households, disadvantaged householdsThe case also received attention from Hung Dao commune. Mr. Nguyen Van Duy has been a poor household in Hamlet 5 for many years. His house had been dilapidated for years. In mid-2024, thanks to support from the Fatherland Front of the commune and local authorities, Mr. Duy received 50 million VND to build a new house. However, the cost of building a new house is around 100 million VND, and he didn't know where to raise the remaining amount. Understanding Mr. Duy's family's situation, the Fatherland Front of the commune and the hamlet's leadership team mobilized relatives and neighbors to help Mr. Duy borrow the remaining money. The inauguration day of his "dream house" was also a day of tears of joy for Mr. Duy's family because finally they had a house to live in, escaping poverty to build a better life.

Ms. Vi Thi Noi, a policy officer in Hung Dao commune, said: “Currently, the commune is preparing 90 gift packages, each worth from 500,000 VND to 1,000,000 VND, to give to war veterans and families with particularly difficult circumstances in the area. In addition to these gifts, the commune will mobilize additional resources from individuals, units, and other political and social organizations to provide more gifts to policy beneficiaries and disadvantaged households during the Lunar New Year.”

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hiep, Head of the Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Department of Hung Nguyen District, said: "Currently, there are 4,000 people with meritorious service and those entitled to similar benefits in the district, receiving attention from all levels of government. In addition, more than 200 cases of poor, near-poor, and disadvantaged people will also receive support during the Lunar New Year. The district plans to spend 4 billion VND on gifts from various sources for policy beneficiary households during the Lunar New Year. Furthermore, preferential allowances, assistance policies, and Tet gifts for people with meritorious service, social welfare beneficiaries, and poor households must be implemented correctly, fully, and promptly, completing before January 22, 2025 (i.e., December 23rd of the Lunar calendar). We are currently mobilizing officials, civil servants, and employees to contribute to achieving the target of each organization and individual being linked to a humanitarian cause. We hope to bring a warm Tet holiday to the people."

In Do Luong district these days, social organizations and the government are reviewing and compiling statistics on difficult cases and people with meritorious service to promptly distribute Tet gifts. Ms. Pham Thi Bich Thuy - Head of the Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Department of Do Luong district said: Currently, there are 5,400 people with meritorious service and those receiving similar benefits in the district. We are trying to ensure that each person with meritorious service receives the most meaningful gifts. Therefore, in addition to the district's budget, we are mobilizing political and social organizations to provide more gifts for other policy beneficiary households, so that everyone can have a warm Tet holiday. With the motto "no one is left behind," Party committees at all levels also pay attention to and care for elderly Party members' families, children in difficult circumstances, and people with long-term illnesses...

So that everyone can have a Tet holiday.

To ensure a joyful Tet holiday for the poor and disadvantaged, the work of promoting, mobilizing, and building the "For the Poor" Fund throughout the province has been given attention and achieved good results. The "For the Poor" Fund at all three levels reached over 123.8 billion VND, and mobilized over 60.3 billion VND to support other social welfare programs. From this support, the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels promptly supported the construction and repair of 7,751 "Great Solidarity" houses for poor households, with a total amount of over 128.3 billion VND.

According to the report of the Steering Committee for Mobilizing and Supporting the Construction and Repair of Houses for the Poor and Those Facing Housing Difficulties in Nghe An Province (Steering Committee 1838): To date, the districts of Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, Anh Son, Nam Dan, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong and the two towns of Thai Hoa and Hoang Mai have determined to complete the program of supporting the construction and repair of houses for the poor and those facing housing difficulties in 2024. The entire province has supported the construction and repair of 11,787 houses, with a total support resource of over 843 billion VND through various forms.

The Provincial Fatherland Front also reported that it has provided over 1.8 billion VND in support to 1,133 poor households for medical treatment, 1.1 billion VND in support for production equipment to 420 poor households, and over 17.37 billion VND in support to 5,550 poor students..

To ensure that policy beneficiary families, the poor, and those with particularly difficult circumstances can celebrate a warm and joyful Tet holiday, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has issued a plan on implementing policies for people with meritorious services to the revolution and social welfare during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025. Accordingly, units and localities will organize visits and Tet gift-giving to people with meritorious services to the revolution and social beneficiaries in the province, with a total estimated budget of 68.5 billion VND. This includes gifts from the President of Vietnam to nearly 80,000 people with meritorious services to the revolution and relatives of martyrs, with a budget of over 24.4 billion VND, guaranteed by the central government. Visits and Tet gifts from provincial leaders and birthday greetings to 64,846 elderly people will be given with a budget of over 19.5 billion VND. The Lunar New Year (Year of the Snake) gifts were distributed to ensure that 58,642 people could enjoy the holiday with a budget of over 17.5 billion VND. A request was submitted to the Government for rice assistance for over 15,000 families, comprising nearly 64,000 people, facing food shortages during Tet in eight districts: Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Anh Son, Thanh Chuong, Que Phong, Quy Chau, and Quy Hop. Over 40,900 poor households will receive Tet gifts worth 150,000 VND each.

According to Mr. Doan Hong Vu – Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs: With the motto that all levels, sectors, and organizations must promptly mobilize resources to ensure social security during the Lunar New Year, preferential allowances, social assistance policies; money and Tet gifts for war invalids, social beneficiaries, children with special difficulties, and poor households must be implemented correctly, fully, and promptly to reach the intended recipients.

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This year, we have submitted early proposals to the Provincial People's Committee regarding the review of policy beneficiary families and poor and disadvantaged households to organize working groups to deliver gifts directly to them. In addition, the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs will coordinate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the province to direct districts, cities, and towns to strengthen the social mobilization of the "Gratitude and Repayment" movement, build the "For the Poor" Fund, and assist poor households and social groups in the province during the Lunar New Year of the Year of the Snake 2025.

Mr. Doan Hong Vu – Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs