Golden Bells Connect the Countryside

(Baonghean) -Not only stopping at giving cows to help poor farmers have the initial conditions to improve their family life, the "Golden Bell" program is also a bridge in society, connecting the spirit of mutual support between urban and rural areas, between organizations, individuals and poor farmers.

Everyone in hamlet 7, Nghia Hanh commune (Tan Ky) sympathizes with the situation of Ms. Nguyen Thi Quy. Her husband was working for hire but unfortunately got electrocuted and paralyzed half of his body. Her eldest son was born with a mental disability. All her hopes were placed on her little daughter who was still in school age. She single-handedly worked to earn money to support the whole family and take care of her husband and children. She worked hard in the fields, doing whatever people hired her to do, but no matter how hard she tried, she could only make ends meet. Her strength was still not enough to pay for her husband's medicine and pay for her children's education. Poverty and hunger continued to haunt her family. Many nights, she could not sleep when thinking about the bleak future ahead. In early 2012, the program "Golden Bells - Connecting the Countryside" came to Tan Ky district. She was one of 6 poor households in the commune to receive a pair of breeding cows and 1.25 million VND to support building a barn and breeding. Contacting her by phone, we learned that one of the two cows donated by the program has given birth to a calf, the other will give birth at the end of October. She excitedly announced: "In a difficult and desperate time, not knowing how to manage, I received a pair of cows donated by the program. Having cows, being supported with knowledge of care, being instructed by the commune veterinary staff on disease prevention and breeding, everyone in the family is happy." That joy seemed to be multiplied when 12 pairs of cows of 6 households in Hoa Son commune (Anh Son) all gave birth to healthy calves. Many families have sold their first calves, having money to cover the expenses at the beginning of the school year for their children, renovating their houses, buying more pigs and chickens to develop livestock farming. In particular, to raise cows effectively, households often take their cows to the field, compare who raises them better, whose cows are healthier and more beautiful, then exchange experiences in caring for cows with each other, encouraging each other to overcome difficulties in daily life. Thanks to that, the village love becomes more intense and warm.

The joy of poor households in Hoa Son (Anh Son) when receiving cows
from the program "Golden Bell"

Last year, the program gave 96 breeding cows to 48 poor households in 4 districts: Tan Ky, Anh Son, Nam Dan, Thanh Chuong. According to the plan, from now until the end of 2012, the program will give 72 breeding cows to 36 poor households in 3 districts: Nghi Loc, Yen Thanh, Do Luong. Currently, all documents and procedures have been completed and this October, the program will go to the localities to give cows to the households. Coming to Minh Thanh (Yen Thanh) in the month "For the poor", when the whole community and society are having practical activities to support the poor, around the pot of green tea, the poor villagers are more excited because in the near future (October 20), 6 households in the commune with special difficulties will receive cows and support money from the Golden Bell Program. Mr. Thai Duy Thang (Hamlet 1, Minh Thanh) has 2 children with neuritis, polyarthritis and intellectual disability. To have money to treat the child, the family's assets were gone, the child's illness did not improve, and the amount of money borrowed increased day by day. "It's not that we are not healthy or don't want to work. We have fields and gardens, but we don't have buffaloes to plow, so we have to exchange our working days to borrow buffaloes to plow. Recently, the Golden Bell Program came to our house to verify our situation and on October 20, we will organize a cow handover at the commune. We are very excited, with "a fishing rod", the couple will advise each other to work hard and raise good cows...".

It is worth noting that the "Golden Bell" Program has received enthusiastic support from authorities at all levels and people in localities across the country. A typical example is the very effective work of the Quy Hop District Party Committee in launching and calling on organizations and individuals to support breeding buffaloes and cows for poor households. This work was initiated from an idea and is likened to the "Golden Bell" Program. After 1 year of implementing the movement, nearly 30 poor families with especially difficult circumstances in Quy Hop were given buffaloes and cows. Many organizations and individuals have become bright spots in this movement, typically the District Military Command, cadres, workers and civil servants of the Quy Hop District Party Committee... That is the heart of a native son of Thanh Giang (Thanh Chuong) currently doing business in Ho Chi Minh City who wrote a letter to the program requesting to give 10 breeding cows to poor families in the countryside; This is the act of kindness of Mr. Thai Duy Son (Xuan Thanh, Yen Thanh) who saved up to buy 2 cows to give to 2 poor families in the commune; it is the kind heart of the staff and reporters of Nghe An Newspaper who mobilized and donated more than 44 million VND to buy cows to give to 4 poor households in Xieng My commune (Tuong Duong)... Thanks to the joint efforts of individuals, organizations, departments, branches and unions, it has helped many poor families in difficult circumstances to gradually escape poverty in a sustainable way.

ONLY NAM