Acts of kindness in Ho Chi Minh City: From a homeless boy to a man dedicated to the community.

Once a homeless and destitute boy, Mr. Pham Van Tung (66 years old, Ward 1, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) has become a kind and compassionate person who contributes to the community.

Instead of surrendering to cruel fate, Mr. Tung rose up and dedicated his entire life to charitable activities.

Despite enduring much suffering, Mr. Tung always smiles and looks ahead: "My life is like a film reel, with ups and downs, and moments of happiness. But the important thing is that life has embraced me and guided me to become a decent person."

Choosing to live a decent life after loss.

Looking at Mr. Tung's gentle smile and optimistic demeanor, few would imagine the bitterness of his childhood. Despite his hardships, he chose to live a decent and honest life to help others.

Mr. Tung chose to live a virtuous life to help society and people. (PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SUBJECT TO SUCCESS)

Born into a broken family in Tuyen Duc (now Lam Dong province ), he was separated from his parents at the age of four. He was adopted by another family in Nha Trang, but still lacked a true home.

Fate was not kind to him; at the age of 15, he completely lost his support system. Entering adulthood, he became a homeless wanderer.

Mr. Tung eked out a living shining shoes, selling newspapers, and navigating through alleyways and street corners to earn every penny. On long nights, he would huddle in a corner of the sidewalk, sometimes shivering under a bridge, seeking shelter.

There were days when no one shined shoes, no one bought newspapers, so he would wait until the restaurants were about to close, then go and ask for leftover rice to eat.

Mr. Tung transports wheelchairs for patients in difficult circumstances. (PHOTO: Provided by the interviewee)

Those difficult teenage years forged him into a strong man who understood the suffering of the poor. He sadly remarked, "Having experienced extreme poverty, I understand what the poor need most."

In 1979, he enlisted in the army, and in 1981 he was seriously wounded while on duty, resulting in a 21% disability rating. After being discharged with weakened health, he was always preoccupied with the question of "what can I do to help those in more difficult circumstances?"

And so, in 1997, a special opportunity led him to a blood donation center on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (District 1). Without hesitation, he registered to donate blood with the simple thought: "I don't have money to help anyone, only health, so I'll donate blood."

He confided in us that donating blood is a great thing because it not only benefits the community but also creates new blood, helping the circulatory system function better. That's why every three months, he goes to the blood donation center to perform this noble act. By the age of 60, he had donated blood more than 51 times.

When his family saw him donating blood regularly, they were very worried. But seeing that he remained healthy and happy, they quietly supported and encouraged him. Notably, his children also chose to donate blood, even though he never directly told them to do so.

A life of giving

Tragedy struck when his youngest son passed away suddenly in 2019. In his overwhelming grief, he decided to dedicate more time to charitable activities.

Shortly after, he joined the 1,000 VND meal initiative. This group, established in 2016, aims to provide affordable and heartwarming meals to poor laborers and sick people in difficult circumstances.

Mr. Tung (second from the left) and members of the group donated 1,000 packages of banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes) to poor patients. PHOTO: VU PHUONG

Every Tuesday and Saturday morning, he arrives very early, arranging each lunchbox and bag of soup to hand out to the villagers.

Furthermore, he is also the Vice Chairman of the "Blood Donation, Organ Donation, Tissue Donation - HTC3" Club. He and Mr. Le Bang Yen (Chairman of the Club) have been close comrades since their time in the military.

Initially, they only pooled money to buy a wheelchair to help an acquaintance who was seriously ill. But then they thought bigger: "Why not help more disabled people?" From then on, they and their fellow club members traveled far and wide, delivering wheelchairs directly to those in need. From Vinh Long, An Giang , and Ca Mau to the central region and remote areas.

The 1,000 VND meal group engages in many activities to care for people in difficult circumstances and poor patients. PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SOURCE.

He confided to us that the members of the HTC3 group are always there when patients need wheelchairs: "In remote areas, where the roads are too narrow to transport wheelchairs all the way to the homes, we carry each wheelchair by hand to the people's houses."

Recalling the days of "eating and sleeping together" at the zero-cost kitchen system (located at 13/114 Tran Van Hoang, Ward 9, Tan Binh District) during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Tung said that he didn't go home but stayed at the kitchen. Every day, he and his colleagues in the group woke up very early to prepare ingredients and cook meals to serve the community.

Mr. Tung (first person, first row) and his teammates at the free meal service during the pandemic.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE SUBJECT

We asked him if he was worried about doing volunteer work during a dangerous pandemic, and he just smiled and replied, "I don't have time to think about fear. I just know that people need me, and I'll do whatever I can."

Not only did he have the intention to help those in need while he was alive, but he also wished to become a useful person after his death.

Driven by this wish, in 2018 he registered to donate his body to medical science after his death. Four years later, he continued to register to donate tissues and organs, hoping to give critically ill patients a chance at life.

Mr. Tung was awarded a commemorative medal for his humanitarian work by the Vietnam Red Cross in 2015. (PHOTO: Provided by the interviewee)

"Whether I live or die, I still want to accomplish something. I want that when I take my last breath, many others will have a chance to live again," he expressed his heartfelt wish.

In 2015, Mr. Pham Van Tung was awarded a commemorative medal by the Vietnam Red Cross Society for his humanitarian work. He has achieved outstanding results in humanitarian activities, contributing to the strengthening of the Vietnam Red Cross Society.

In 2024, the "Blood Donation, Organ Donation, Tissue Donation - HTC3" Club, where he serves as Vice Chairman, was awarded a certificate of commendation by the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society for its outstanding achievements in Red Cross work and activities in 2024.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-tu-te-o-tphcm-tu-cau-be-lang-bat-den-nguoi-dan-ong-vi-cong-dong-185250307181056846.htm