Society

Those who 'light the fire' of love

Thanh Quynh • February 7, 2026 11:59

Thanh Quynh• February 7, 2026

Anyone who has ever visited Quynh Van will easily notice a unique characteristic of this rural area: charitable work has become a way of life for many villages and hamlets. From the Blood Donation Club, the "Zero-Cost Kitchen" to the "Zero-Cost Stall" aimed at helping disadvantaged areas, all have been maintained for many years. These "flames of love" are lit by people of different ages, professions, and circumstances, but sharing a common heart for the community, allowing kindness to spread powerfully and sustainably.

The core of spreading love and volunteerism.

As Tet (Lunar New Year) approaches, the small house of Mr. Hoang Van Hung (born in 1979, Cam Xuyen commune, Ha Tinh province) is filled with the joyful laughter of children. His two healthy and lively twins are a precious gift for a family like Mr. Hung's, who once struggled with infertility. Therefore, he maintains the habit of taking everyday photos of his children and sending them to Ms. Chu Thi Ngan (born in 1992, village 5, Quynh Tan, Quynh Van commune) – whom he always considers his benefactor.

2b78a9b9edcd63933adc-1-(1).jpg — Ms. Chu Thi Ngan has donated blood 26 times to save lives. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Recalling May 2025, the joy of welcoming twins quickly gave way to worry when both babies were born with congenital anemia. Mr. Hung promptly donated blood to save one baby, while the other had to wait for the next blood donation. In that critical moment, at the Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center of Nghe An province, Mr. Hung met Ms. Chu Thi Ngan. That day, Ms. Ngan and members of the Nghe An Provincial Humanitarian Blood Donation Club were at the hospital assisting a patient in difficult circumstances.

At that time, Ms. Ngan had just been in an accident, and her head and face hadn't fully healed yet. She rushed to the hospital to have her stitches removed. Seeing the man with tears in his eyes, and hearing the story about the two premature babies who urgently needed blood transfusions, she didn't hesitate. When she learned that her blood type matched the babies', she immediately donated blood, giving them a chance to live in a life-or-death situation.

"
Hung's story is just one of many memorable moments in Chu Thi Ngan's nearly eight-year journey with the Nghe An Provincial Blood Donation Club.
To date, she has donated blood 26 times – giving away lives 26 times – and has been entrusted with the role of Vice President of the club.

3197211827850487434(1).jpg — The patient's family (in blue shirts) stands next to Ms. Chu Thi Ngan and the volunteers after the members promptly donated blood to save the patient's life. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Sharing about how she came to be involved in volunteer work, Ms. Chu Thi Ngan said that she was born in Nghia Hoan commune (formerly Tan Ky district), now Tan Phu commune. In 2013, she married Mr. Phan Dinh Bang (born in 1990) and moved with him to live in Hamlet 5, Quynh Tan, Quynh Van commune. "Life was quite stable, so at times I didn't fully understand the hardships and deprivations that many people are facing," Ms. Ngan confided.

Everything changed in 2018 when Ms. Ngan was connected by Mr. Ho Minh Nam - Chairman of the Blood Donation Club of Nghe An province, also a resident of Hamlet 5, Quynh Van commune - to participate in her first blood donation trips at the hospital, and then joined the volunteer group to go to mountainous and flood-affected areas...

Having witnessed firsthand patients anxiously waiting for blood transfusions, children shivering in the cold in border regions, and homes left desolate after floods, Ms. Ngan truly understood and asked herself: "If I can do something useful, why not?"

587790984723719757(1).jpg — The journey of doing charitable work is fraught with difficulties and hardships, but Ms. Chu Thi Ngan and the members of the Nghe An Blood Donation Club and the "Zero-Cost Meal Kitchen" volunteer group remain dedicated and enthusiastic. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

1738211474179050327-1-(1).jpg — Ms. Chu Thi Ngan (back row, third from the right) with club members and benefactors during a charitable activity aimed at helping the mountainous areas of Nghe An province after a natural disaster. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Driven by that belief, she regularly participates in blood donation and encourages her relatives and friends to do the same. Her husband has also donated blood 14 times.

Alongside this were ongoing charitable trips. During periods of heavy rain and flooding in the western communes of the province, Ms. Ngan and her volunteer team waded through water and mud to help evacuate the elderly from dangerous areas and assist residents in relocating their belongings and livestock. When the older members of the group returned, Ms. Ngan and the younger volunteers stayed for a few more days, preparing meals, cleaning up after the flood, and contributing in small ways to help the residents quickly stabilize their lives.

And from those trips, Ms. Ngan gained more companions, so that charitable work was no longer a solitary journey, but became a sustained sharing of many hearts united in caring for the community.

Continuing the love

Guided by Ms. Chu Thi Ngan, we arrived at the home of Mr. Dau Duc Nam in Hamlet 5, Quynh Tan, Quynh Van Commune. Ms. Ngan explained that he is her special "foster father," a companion on many charitable trips over the years.

quynh-van-thien-nguyen-6(1).jpg — Residents of Quynh Van village gathered to wrap banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to support the children at Huu Khuong Ethnic Boarding Primary School. Photo: Thanh Quynh

These days, Mr. Nam's house is busier than usual. The spacious courtyard is neatly arranged with green banana leaves, white sticky rice, and yellow beans. Dozens of villagers gather to wrap banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), preparing for the "Free Meal" activity at Huu Khuong Ethnic Boarding Primary School.

According to Mr. Dau Duc Nam, the "Zero-Cost Kitchen" has been maintained for many years. Previously, the model was called "Charity Porridge Pot," initiated by Mr. Ho Minh Nam - Chairman of the Humanitarian Blood Donation Club of Nghe An province.

By 2022, as the number of participants grew and the need for support expanded, he volunteered to bring the kitchen to his home, creating a spacious area for people from the villages to cook, share, and maintain the activity regularly.

quynh-van-thien-nguyen3(1).jpg — Ms. Chu Thi Ngan - Deputy Head of the Nghe An Humanitarian Blood Donation Club, head chef of the "Zero-Cost Meal Kitchen," and Mr. Dau Duc Nam stand beside the cooking equipment that the club regularly transports to disadvantaged areas to carry out charitable cooking activities. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Thanks to the dedication of Mr. Dau Duc Nam and his wife, Ms. Chu Thi Ngan, and other key local members, the "Zero-Cost Kitchen" is regularly maintained at least once a month, cooking hundreds of free meals and porridge for patients at Quynh Luu General Hospital. During peak months, the kitchen operates 3-4 times a month.

Not only did Mr. Nam and Ms. Ngan directly contribute their time and resources, but they also became a reliable link connecting compassionate hearts. Many individuals, businesses, and expatriates proactively sought them out, entrusting their contributions to charitable activities.

For over three years, these trips to disadvantaged areas have continued to extend to remote and isolated communes such as Keng Du, Nhon Mai, Tan Phu, Huu Khuong… and even further afield to provinces like Lao Cai, Thua Thien Hue, and Dak Lak...

"
Names like Ms. Nguyen Thi Van (born in 1954), Ms. Ho Thi Loc (born in 1965), and Mr. Le Tien Tuan (born in 1993)... from Quynh Van are now familiar in every charitable activity of the locality.
Without fanfare or ostentation, each person contributed in a very simple way, but it was this sincerity that added warmth to the journey of sharing in the village.

At the end of the lunar year, the Nghe An Blood Donation Club and the "Zero-Cost Meal Kitchen" volunteer group both organize zero-cost stalls, donating 250-300 gift packages to people in difficult circumstances. Photo: Provided by the organizers.

The "zero-cost" stalls, aimed at helping people in difficult circumstances, have received support from many residents, businesses, and philanthropists in Quynh Van commune and surrounding areas. This year, 300 gift packages have been prepared at the stalls for 300 disadvantaged households. Photo: Provided by the organizers.

quynh-van-thien-nguyen-7(1).jpg — Members of the "Zero-Cost Kitchen" volunteer group stand beside a storage area where donated clothing has been washed and neatly folded before being distributed to disadvantaged areas. Photo: Thanh Quynh

"
Over the past period, the Nghe An Humanitarian Blood Donation Club and the "Zero-Cost Kitchen" volunteer group have implemented many practical activities, creating a positive social impact. Besides regularly maintaining blood donation activities to save lives, in supporting patients, the club has cooked and distributed over 10,000 meals and 8,000 bowls of porridge free of charge to patients being treated at Quynh Luu General Hospital. During disaster relief and support for disadvantaged areas, the club organized many activities with a total value of over 1.89 billion VND. Programs caring for children and people in difficult areas, such as Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, Tet gift giving, and the "Warm Winter" program, have been maintained regularly and effectively.
Mr. Nguyen Song Quang - Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Quynh Van commune, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Quynh Van commune.

Through these meaningful actions, a spirit of responsibility, dedication, and compassion spreads throughout the community, so that love in Quynh Van is not only conveyed through charitable journeys but also remains deeply ingrained in the lives of this warm-hearted rural area.

Thanh Quynh