The story of 'sharing food and clothes' by the Nam Mo river
In the midst of the dire situation of dealing with the huge damage caused by the flood, upon receiving information that the people of Na Muong village in Laos were also in a similar situation, the government, the Border Guard force and the people of Muong Tip commune (Nghe An province) contacted and joined hands to share the community's support gifts to the people of Na Muong. Behind that story of "sharing food and clothes" is a lot of warmth from the close-knit relationship between the government and people on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border.
The flood occurred on July 22, many villages of Muong Tip commune (Nghe An province) suffered the most damage, especially Ta Do village, the whole commune was isolated for more than a week. While dealing with the huge damage of the flood, receiving information that the people of Na Muong village in Laos were also in a similar situation, the government, Border Guard force and people of Muong Tip commune contacted and joined hands to share the community's support for the people of Na Muong. Behind that story of "sharing food and clothes" is a lot of warmth from the close relationship between the government and people on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border.
Article: Hoai Thu; Photo: PV - CTV - CSCC• 08/02/2025
Connection from people and government
Standing on the bank of the Nam Mo River, the people of Na Muong village, Pha Ven village cluster, Noong Het district, Xieng Khouang province (Lao PDR) can see the people of Ta Do village, Muong Tip commune, Nghe An province on the other side of the river. Because the two border villages of Na Muong and Ta Do are only separated by the Nam Mo River. Through a long tradition, the people of both sides have always had a connection with each other. Therefore, information about the living situation is almost always updated and shared regularly.
Recounting the story of the people of Na Muong village swimming across the Nam Mo River to contact the government for support, people of Muong Tip commune, Mr. Vi Trung An, a resident of Ta Do village, Muong Tip commune, said: as a local, fluent in Lao, he regularly participates in activities connecting the government and people on both sides of the border. After the flood occurred on the night of July 22 and the following days, Mr. Vi Trung An received information from the Chief of Na Muong Poc Pom village that Ban's village had also suffered heavy damage and had been cut off and isolated since July 23.
In Muong Tip, the flood also caused great damage and isolated villages due to many sections of National Highway 16C Muong Xen - Ta Do collapsing into the river, and dozens of landslides after the night of July 22. Muong Tip people also ran out of food at times, and their daily necessities were swept away. Thanks to the rescue of the authorities, after a week, food aid could be transported to Muong Tip people.
As a participant with local forces in calling for, receiving and transporting support gifts to Muong Tip, Mr. Vi Trung An remembered the thoughts of the Chief of Na Muong Poc Pom village, so he called to ask about the situation.
“On the morning of July 31, the Chief of Poc Pom village said that he saw many people bringing supplies and relief goods to Ta Do and Muong Tip on the other side of the river. Could he share some with the people of Na Muong? I reported to Ms. Vi Thi Quyen, the Party Secretary of the commune, and the officers of the Ta Do Border Guard Station, and they all said they were ready to help. I happily reported to Mr. Poc Pom. Almost immediately, when the officers had not yet prepared support boats, some people from Na Muong village who were standing on the other side of the river swam across the Nam Non River to Ta Do village,” said Mr. Vi Trung An.
For the past ten days, the cadres of Muong Tip commune have been working hard with the people to cope with and overcome the consequences of the flood. Upon hearing that the people of Na Muong village had come, they sent Mr. Hoa Van Mon, an official of the Fatherland Front Committee of Muong Tip commune, to directly meet them, bringing gifts. Then the Party Secretary of the commune, Vi Thi Quyen, and the Border Guard force also came. The two sides encouraged each other to try to overcome difficulties and hardships. And on the morning of July 31, 40 support packages were shared with the people of Na Muong village right on the bank of the Nam Mo river. Each package included 10 kg of rice, 2 boxes of instant noodles, 1 box of water, many clothes, pots and pans, etc.
“People on both sides of the border have suffered losses due to the floods. The people of Muong Tip have received support goods so far (August 2). Although it is not much compared to the loss of the people, they have escaped the situation of lacking food and clothing. The people of Na Muong village are in more difficult circumstances, so we are willing to share. On the morning of July 31, we hired a boat to transport the people of Na Muong and 40 gifts across the river, promptly supporting the people of Ban village,” added Ms. Vi Thi Quyen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Muong Tip commune.
“The next day, August 1, 2025, there were more boats going back and forth on the Nam Mo River carrying relief goods from Ta Do village to give to the people of Na Muong village. That was the heart of the soldiers of the Ta Do Border Control Station” – Mr. Vi Trung An happily informed us.
Heart touching sharing lines
Immediately after the electronic newspaper of Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television posted information that the two border villages of Vietnam and Laos were both damaged and separated by floods but were willing to "share food and clothes" with each other in times of trouble, it was strongly shared by local people of Vietnam and Laos on personal accounts and social networking sites.
Those shares have continuously received hundreds of thousands of comments, expressing sympathy, touching hearts about small but meaningful things, about the long-standing tradition of solidarity, about the brotherly friendship between the people and authorities on both sides of the Vietnam - Laos border, not only in Na Muong or Muong Tip.
Reading those emotional lines, I suddenly felt moved. A Facebook page named “Maysaa – Lao Girl” shared the link to the article on Nghe An Newspaper and Radio and Television with the status line: “Thank you to the government and people of Muong Tip commune for sharing food and clothes to support Lao people when they swam across the Nam Mo River to seek help after 10 days of isolation and deprivation.”
The Facebook page named “Truyen Van Hoa” also shared information about the support along the Nam Mo River and received more than 71 thousand likes, more than 2,000 comments with sharing and sympathy about the close bond between the people of Vietnam and Laos: “love is deeper than the Red River and Mekong River”, “love can climb any mountain, wade any river, cross any pass”, “in times of trouble, the four seas are home, love and sharing are always the most precious and sacred things”…
An account named “Trang Nguyen” wrote with a red heart sticker: “Is anyone else tearing up after reading the news like me? The solidarity between Vietnam and Laos is so great, I hope everyone can overcome the current difficulties together.”
Spreading the steadfast love between Vietnam and Laos
After Mr. Vi Trung An informed us that the Muong Ai Border Guard Station had sent boats across the river carrying food, household appliances and tools to support the people of Na Muong village (Laos), we contacted Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Quang Hieu - Political Commissar of Muong Ai Border Guard Station. Mr. Hieu said, "On August 1, the unit sent officers and soldiers of Ta Do Border Control Station to support the people of Na Muong village, with a total value of 20 million VND, including instant noodles, rice, water, household appliances, labor tools such as hoes, shovels... At the same time, we supported boats to carry relief goods to the village for the people of Na Muong. This sharing and encouragement came from the call of officers and soldiers of Muong Ai Border Guard Station to help the people of Muong Tip.
“We regularly carry out support and exchange activities between forces, authorities and people on both sides of the border. This is not the first time we have supported the people of Na Muong village. It is a regular activity between the Border Guard force as well as the authorities and people of the two border villages. The two villages of Ta Do and Na Muong have been sworn brothers since 2013" - Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Quang Hieu, Political Commissar of Muong Ai Border Post said.
Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Quang Hieu added: In 2025 alone, the unit coordinated with Company 221 of Laos to organize two bilateral patrols. Organized 3 delegations with 15 officers and soldiers to visit, work and present gifts to the local government of Muong Moc district and the border protection forces of Laos with 25 gifts, worth 25 million VND. Connected individuals to give gifts to the people of the border villages as well as the border protection forces of Laos with 125 gifts, worth more than 75 million VND in total. Muong Ai Border Guard Station also sponsored a student who is a child of Lao people, supporting 6 million VND annually for his studies.
Nghe An province has a land border of more than 468 km, adjacent to 3 provinces of the Lao People's Democratic Republic: Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang and Bolikhamxay. The people of the ethnic groups in the border areas of the two countries all have revolutionary traditions, always standing side by side with the authorities at all levels and the armed forces to protect sovereignty and border security.
We, the local Party newspaper reporters, have accompanied and followed the Border Guard force and local authorities many times across the mountains and forests from Vietnam to Laos to report on border protection activities and to attend twinning ceremonies between residential areas on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border (also known as Ban-Ban twinning). This activity is implemented in accordance with Directive No. 12/2013/UBND of the Provincial People's Committee on organizing a twinning movement between residential areas on both sides of the Vietnam-Laos border in Nghe An province. Up to now, Nghe An province has maintained 21 pairs of villages and clusters of villages on both sides of the border as brotherhood in the spirit of solidarity in nurturing the two peoples "mountains linked to mountains, rivers linked to rivers".
Currently, implementing the 2-level local government model, along with Ta Do village of Muong Tip commune, 12 villages of the old Ky Son district, have established sister-country relations with 13 villages of Laos, maintaining that connection and becoming more and more closely connected. In particular, the sharing of support between the people of Ta Do village and Na Muong village in recent days is one of the clearest evidences.
