"You're returning to the warmth and joy of home..."

(Baonghean) - As is customary, every summer, the people of the border villages of Nam Giai (Que Phong) welcome the soldiers of Uncle Ho as if they were welcoming their sons and brothers back to the village. This warm bond between the military and the people is kindled by concrete actions, with a humane heart, leaving a deep impression on the hearts of the villagers.

The winding paved road led a convoy of 20 officers and soldiers from the Nghe An Provincial Military Command to Nam Giai commune, Que Phong district. It was a summer morning, but the weather in this remote border region was still chilly. Major Le Anh Van led the team, his shoulders laden with hoes, shovels, large and small containers… full of tools and supplies for more than a week of living in the village. As he struggled to climb the steep slope of the Nam Giai Commune Health Station, Major Van smiled: “In the three years I’ve been in Nam Giai as part of the unit’s program to help poor communes in the western region, I’ve noticed one thing that hasn’t changed: the weather. Nam Giai is like the Sapa of Nghe An. Everything else has changed for the better. Every year I come here, I feel more excited because the commune is developing and progressing!”

Officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command, together with the people of Nam Giai commune (Que Phong district), cleaned up the villages.

Major Le Anh Van was in charge of the task force sent to assist the impoverished Nam Giai commune, following the policy of each unit assisting one poor commune in western Nghe An province. Each year, the Provincial Military Command assigned a "special" task force to carry out various practical tasks to help the commune with specific local difficulties. During his three years with this mobile task force, Major Le Anh Van has many profound memories of the land and people there, each story sparkling with the warm and heartfelt bond between the military and the people.

It wasn't until the Provincial Party Committee's policy of assisting poor communes in the Western region was implemented that the green uniforms of the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army shone brightly in this difficult land. The image of soldiers bravely rescuing people from devastating floods had already been etched in the minds of the people in the border region. In 2007, a historic flash flood swept away many villages in Nam Giai, killing 13 people from Meo and Puc villages. Officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command, undeterred by danger, rushed into the "hot spots" to provide relief, helping people rebuild homes and restore production after the flood… “For many years after the flash flood, officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command continued their activities to assist Nam Giai commune.”

"In 2012, we carried out community outreach work in Mo village, helping the villagers build a model cultural village for the entire district. Along with that, we allocated funds from the savings of officers and soldiers throughout the unit to help the commune's health station with facilities and medical equipment… In 2013, officers and soldiers of the Provincial Military Command organized the construction of inter-village roads in Puc village…” – Major Le Anh Van shared. And he said, remembering that time is remembering memories with the land and people, and it's about rejoicing once again in the changes of the remote Nam Giai…

This transformation is evident in the modern stilt houses, the terraced rice fields ready for planting, and the 7 hectares of passion fruit orchards laden with fruit awaiting harvest. The young commune chairman, Quang Van Thanh, confidently asserts that it's a miraculous revival: “The entire Nam Giai commune has less than 2,000 inhabitants. The population is small, but arable land is scarce, and the terrain is barren, with steep hills and mountains, severely limiting agricultural development. Years ago, Nam Giai was devastated after the devastating floods, notorious as a commune of ‘three no’s’: no electricity, no roads, and no telephone signal… Now, things have changed a lot. Telephone signals from both major networks are strong, the national power grid has reached almost all villages in the commune, and new concrete rural roads stretch far and wide, with only a few inter-village roads in remote areas still difficult to navigate.” Chairman Quang Van Thanh remarked that the most valuable aspect is the well-equipped school and health station system in Nam Giai commune, meeting the educational and healthcare needs of the people. In particular, the commune health station is one of the first stations in Que Phong district to meet the national criteria for commune health stations in phase 1, and is expected to strive to achieve the national standard for the 2011-2020 period by the end of 2015. "The local government and people of Nam Giai commune will never forget the help and support of the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army," shared Mr. Quang Van Thanh.

This year, the working group of the Provincial Military Command is assisting Nam Giai commune in continuing the construction of the perimeter wall and the beautification of the commune's health station grounds, helping the station have modern facilities to prepare for achieving the national criteria by the end of 2015 as planned. Young officers and soldiers, their faces glistening with sweat despite the chilly weather, nimbly mixed mortar, moved bricks, shoveled sand… and enthusiastically shared jokes with the villagers working on the project. A bright red sign bearing the words "Nam Giai Commune Health Station" has been prepared, awaiting the joyous day of completion.

According to the program, on July 15th, the medical team from the Provincial Military Command will continue its visit to Nam Giai to organize free medical examinations, consultations, and medication distribution for the villagers. This annual activity is eagerly awaited by the people. Lo Van Tinh (Cang village, Nam Giai), along with many villagers, were working on the perimeter wall for the commune's health station, chatting excitedly: "Every time the soldiers come, the villagers are so happy. Everyone wants to invite the soldiers to stay in their homes. Thanks to the soldiers, the villagers have a spacious health station for examinations and treatment, they know how to maintain hygiene in the village, and they work diligently to build a new life."

Thanks to their close involvement with the lives of the local people and their hands-on guidance, the provincial armed forces have provided practical assistance to Nam Giai commune, contributing positively to changing the face of this border commune. Over a five-year period (from 2011 to 2015), the Provincial Military Command contributed 4,550 man-days to help the locality build infrastructure, develop the economy, culture, and society, and contribute to poverty reduction. Specifically, they repaired and upgraded the commune's health station (building a perimeter wall, donating medical equipment such as cabinets, patient beds, operating tables, examination instruments, and medicines) worth 256 million VND; organized numerous health check-ups, consultations, and free medicine distribution for 1,050 people worth 175,500,000 VND; The organization mobilized forces and equipment to excavate and renovate 3 roads in Puc village, totaling 750m in length, worth 450,900,000 VND; repaired and upgraded 3.5 km of inter-village roads in the commune, worth 60,450,000 VND; donated 50 million VND to build a house for the mother of a fallen soldier and provided 5 breeding cows to 5 particularly disadvantaged families, worth 50 million VND.

Lieutenant Colonel Bui Huu Thang, Head of the People's Mobilization Department of the Provincial Military Command, stated: "The total funding for activities to assist the impoverished Nam Giai commune to date is approximately 750 million VND. However, what is more important is not the impressive statistics, but the joyful fact that the mark of the soldiers of Uncle Ho has been evident in the positive changes in the awareness and actions of the people, contributing to building a strong border region."

Text and photos:Phuong Chi