In the days before Lunar New Year, the bitter cold in the Tam Hop highlands (Tuong Duong) was dispelled by the warmth of practical activities for the poor. Especially the program "Spring on the border, warm hearts of the villagers" organized by Tam Hop Border Guard Station in coordination with Tam Hop Commune People's Committee, Nghe An Youth Volunteers' Team 9 and accompanying units (HIDA Food Joint Stock Company, Viet Nhan Nghe An Joint Stock Company) to bring the ethnic people in the border areas a joyful, warm and full traditional Tet. In addition to creating conditions for people to participate in meaningful activities imbued with the cultural identity of the people in the border areas, such as cultural and sports exchanges, organizing folk games; participating in wrapping 200 banh chung and banh day to give to poor households... At the program, the organizing committee handed over and put into use a 1.5km long solar-powered lighting project; donated 02 great solidarity houses; 50 gifts for poor households; 8 gifts for students under the program “Helping children go to school – Adopted children of border guards” and 50 breeding pigs under the model “Accompanying farmers to overcome difficulties and escape poverty”… with a total value of more than 380 million VND.
As an elderly person present in the program, Mr. Vi Van Tinh, Phong village, Tam Hop commune said: My family is poor, we are old, my husband and I have many diseases. Today, we are very happy to receive free medical examination and medicine from the Border Guard, and Tet gifts, thank the soldiers and benefactors for bringing joy to people who are still facing many difficulties. In the joyful and warm atmosphere, Mr. Xong Ba No, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Tam Hop commune, excitedly said: For many years, in addition to the task of protecting the sovereignty and security of the border, Tam Hop Border Guard Station has organized many activities to help ethnic minorities in the area develop the economy, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. The community activities of the station have encouraged people to eliminate the mindset of waiting and relying on others, and actively strive to improve their lives. Especially this year's Tet, there is electricity to light up the village, the people are "very satisfied"...
For Mr. Ly Ba Sua's family in Pha Lom village, this year is the happiest spring because the family can celebrate Tet in a new, spacious house with tiled floors and a heat-resistant corrugated iron roof built by officers and soldiers of Tam Hop Border Guard Station, which mobilized organizations and benefactors to support the construction costs. In addition to Mr. Sua's family's house, there is also Mr. Lau Ba Phong's family living in Pha Lom village, who received support from Tam Hop Border Guard Station to repair their house before the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin.
Talking to us, Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Van Thien - Party Secretary, Political Commissar of Tam Hop Border Guard Station said: Implementing the Border Guard Spring Program, Warming the Hearts of the Villagers" in 2024, the unit connects with organizations, individuals, and philanthropists inside and outside the province to organize many activities imbued with the cultural identity of the Mong, Thai, and Tay Poong ethnic groups to create a cultural festival for people to exchange and enjoy Tet and welcome Spring. At the same time, it is also a gratitude of the officers and soldiers of Tam Hop Border Guard Station to the people who have loved, protected, trusted, stood shoulder to shoulder with the border guards in the work of managing and protecting the borders of the Fatherland.
It is known that the program "Spring Border Guard, Warming the Hearts of the Villagers" is an activity launched by the Border Guard Command and organized annually by the Nghe An Border Guard, contributing to taking care of ethnic minorities in the border areas to celebrate a joyful and warm Tet with the spirit of "The whole country joins hands for the poor, leaving no one behind". Depending on the conditions, the border guards have proactively coordinated with forces, philanthropists and localities to organize many activities "warming the hearts of the villagers" when Tet comes, Spring returns. For example, Na Loi Border Guard Station coordinated with the Kindergarten to organize "Tet Sum Vay" to wrap more than 160 Chung cakes to give to students and local people.
Or in the border commune of Tam Quang, people also celebrated Tet early through the program "Spring on the border, warm the hearts of the villagers" organized by Tam Quang Border Guard Station in coordination with the Youth Union of Nghi Thuy Ward (Cua Lo town) and sponsors with many exciting activities (campfire, cultural exchange, art performances, etc.). At the program, 50 poor households and 10 disadvantaged students in the area were given meaningful Tet gifts, along with more than 1,000 warm coats sent by the organizers to students in the area to welcome the New Year.
For Nhon Mai Border Post, managing two areas of Nhon Mai and Mai Son - where there are 21 villages, 1,356 households/6,534 people with 4 ethnic groups (Kinh, Thai, Kho Mu, Mong) living together. Understanding the situation of the people in the border area, every time Tet comes, Spring comes, officers and soldiers of the post coordinate to organize activities to bring a warm spring to the people. Luckily, we were able to attend the program "Border spring, warm hearts of the villagers" organized by Nhon Mai Border Post on January 19 and 20, we could feel the strong military-civilian relationship in this mountainous area. Right in the large yard of the post, the Party Committee, local authorities, village management boards, a large number of ethnic people and soldiers in green uniforms were immersed in cultural and artistic exchanges imbued with the identity of the ethnic groups in Western Nghe An.
It is even more meaningful that on this occasion, with the special attention of the Party Committee of the Central Agencies in Ho Chi Minh City; the support of the Border Guard Command of Nghe An province, the Dien Chan Thien Tam group, the People's Committee, the Fatherland Front Committee of Vinh city... The program's organizing committee has awarded 25 solidarity houses (worth more than 1 billion VND); 02 livelihood models of cage fish farming and goat farming (worth 100 million VND) to extremely disadvantaged households; given Tet gifts to 330 poor households in Nhon Mai commune, 150 households in Mai Son commune, each gift worth from 500,000 to 700,000 VND; awarded 12 Tet gifts and 54 million VND to 12 students of the program "Helping children go to school - adopted border guards" undertaken by Nhon Mai Border Guard Station.
In addition, according to Lieutenant Colonel Phan Thanh Hong - Head of Nhon Mai Border Guard Station: The unit also coordinated with sponsors to give 2 oxygen ventilators (worth 40 million VND) to Nhon Mai Commune Health Station, Mai Son Commune to serve the medical examination and treatment for local people. Teachers and students of Mai Son Secondary School for Ethnic Minorities were happy to receive a water filtration system worth more than 80 million VND to solve the problem of clean drinking water for 192 students, including 122 boarding students. Also at the program "Spring on the border, Warming the hearts of the villagers", Tuong Duong district supported Nhon Mai commune with 30 million VND to build a kindergarten, 95 million VND to build a lighting system in Huoi Man, Huoi Co, and Pha Mut villages.
Practical gifts were given directly to poor households, students, schools, medical stations in border areas... by philanthropists, border guards, soldiers and local authorities in the program "Spring on the border, warm the hearts of the villagers" not only demonstrated the spirit of "the whole country joining hands for the poor, leaving no one behind" but also demonstrated the joint efforts and unanimity to protect the sovereignty and security of the border for a warm and peaceful Spring.
Effectively implementing the motto "The station is home, the border is the homeland, the people of all ethnic groups are blood brothers", not only during the Tet holiday, but also in daily life, officers and soldiers at the Border Guard stations on the border always care, help and support people to overcome hunger and reduce poverty through many practical programs. For example, Nhon Mai Border Guard Station has connected, mobilized and called on benefactors and philanthropists to implement many social security projects in Nhon Mai and Mai Son communes (Tuong Duong district). Notable among them are volunteer projects such as building a school in Huoi Man village; auxiliary projects for Pieng Coc kindergarten in Mai Son commune; drilling 6 clean water wells to donate to schools in the area; building a bridge for people in Pha Mut village, Nhon Mai village, building a water tank for the army and people in Na Lot village... with a total cost of over 2.1 billion VND.
Teacher Vi Thi Hien, Principal of Nhon Mai Commune Kindergarten - one of the units that received a clean water well, said: This is a very meaningful gift that helps the school solve the problem of clean water source, ensuring hygiene in eating and daily activities for students and teachers.
Mr. Vi Van Tien, Nhon Mai village (Nhon Mai commune) expressed his joy and gratitude when this year, his family was able to live in a new, spacious house with a closed upper part and a durable lower part, donated by Nhon Mai Border Guard Station, local authorities and benefactors. As a family with extremely difficult circumstances, with his wife often sick, for many years, Mr. Tien's family had to live in a dilapidated bamboo house without any valuable items. Now living in a new house, Mr. Vi Van Tien emotionally shared, "From now on, we will no longer worry about the impact of rain and wind. Our family will actively work and produce to develop the economy and reduce poverty."
For ethnic minorities in the border commune of Nam Can (Ky Son district) this spring, people are more excited because the roads have been lit up by solar lights connected by Nam Can Border Guard Station, mobilizing organizations and benefactors to support. Previously, every time night fell, the road from Nam Can Border Guard Station to the commune center and schools was in darkness, making it very difficult for people to travel, and organizing activities to celebrate Spring and Tet was also less exciting. Now, thanks to the support of Nam Can Border Guard Station and organizations and benefactors, 30 solar lights worth more than 45 million VND have been installed along the roads. This model not only creates a new look for the border highlands but also facilitates people to travel and organize community cultural activities, ensuring security and order at night.
Ms. Vu Y Chia, a resident of Nam Can village, Nam Can commune, Ky Son district, said: Since the solar lights have been installed to light up the roads, people have found it more convenient to travel at night, children have a place to play, and people are very excited.
In 2023, the border guards effectively built 57 economic development models to help people in border areas increase their income and stabilize their lives. In particular, 522 party members assigned to 2,387 households in border areas have carried out many activities to help people eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, and develop the economy to have a warmer and more prosperous Tet.
A typical case is Mr. Xong Nhia Ly - one of the poor households of Pha Lom village, Tam Hop commune, Tuong Duong.
In 2022, the Tam Hop Border Guard Station Party Committee assigned Captain Nguyen Kim Trong - Head of the station's mass mobilization team to support Mr. Xong Nhia Ly's family in economic development. Captain Trong guided Mr. Xong Nhia Ly's family in developing breeding cows and goats. From the initial 2 pairs of breeding goats, after a period of proper care, Mr. Xong Nhia Ly's family now has a herd of 16 goats and 10 cows that are growing well. "Thanks to the border guard party members supporting capital to buy breeding animals, providing care instructions, and the goats and cows growing well, my family's life is now stable" - Mr. Xong Nhia Ly shared.
The projects and works for the people that the green-uniformed soldiers of the Nghe An Border Guard have been carrying out not only bring a warm Spring and a happy Tet to the local people but also contribute to strengthening the relationship between the army and the people, ensuring peace for the people, the area and the border.
