Houses resistant to storms and floods.

For years, the poor people of Tuong Duong and Quy Hop districts lived precariously on hillsides and mountain slopes, enduring dozens of storms, flash floods, landslides, and mudslides... yet they never dared to dream of a sturdy house. Only with the help of the Red Cross did the dream of a storm-resistant house become a reality.

Standing in his spacious stilt house, made of wood and roofed with bright red tiles, Mr. Lo Van Toan, over 60 years old, from La village, Luong Minh commune, still can't believe it's his home. Just a few months ago, his family was struggling to live in a temporary shelter because their old house was almost completely destroyed by the 2009 flood.

The Provincial Red Cross Society cut the ribbon to inaugurate the house of Mr. Vi Văn Mui in Châu Lý commune (Quỳ Hợp district).

Good news came to his family when the Tuong Duong District Red Cross announced to the commune a project to support the restoration and reconstruction of storm-resistant houses. Upon receiving this information, the Luong Minh Commune People's Committee disseminated the information to each village and held meetings with residents to identify eligible recipients.

After waiting for the assessment from the Vietnam Red Cross Central Committee and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in July 2010, his family's application was approved, and the local authorities organized the groundbreaking ceremony. With 30 million VND in support from the Red Cross, along with the help of labor from the villagers and some wood left over from the flood, the new house was completed in just two months.

Mr. Toan's storm-resistant house is just one of 50 houses that the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement supported Nghe An province after typhoons No. 8 and No. 9 in 2009. This project is for poor households whose houses were destroyed, swept away, or damaged after the storms.

In undertaking this project, the Nghe An Red Cross Society had to select 50 of the most disadvantaged families in four communes – Luong Minh and Thach Giam (Tuong Duong district) and Chau Ly and Chau Hong (Quy Hop district) – from 145 completely destroyed houses and over 15,000 other damaged houses across the province to provide assistance. A unique aspect of this project is that, in addition to financial support for building sturdy houses, the Red Cross Society hired architectural consultants from DMF to visit each house and provide advice on construction, ensuring that the houses would be built to withstand storms, floods, tornadoes, and landslides.

Regarding the project's success, Ms. Bui Thi Mai, President of the Provincial Red Cross Society, stated: "The project faced many difficulties because the project's locations in the communes are very far from the center, and many areas are forest roads, making transportation and the delivery of construction materials extremely complicated. However, the project was implemented quickly and effectively thanks to the help of volunteers and local people. Families also made great efforts to contribute their labor and additional funds to build more spacious and comfortable houses."

As one of the key regions frequently affected by natural disasters, building storm-resistant houses is absolutely essential. The project to support the restoration and construction of storm-resistant houses has been successfully implemented, not only for its social significance but also for its practical role in preventing and mitigating storm and flood damage. These storm-resistant house models also serve as examples for people in local areas, especially in mountainous districts, to learn from and build sturdy homes for their families.

My Ha