Ready to be there when the people need us.
One night in early October 2025, torrential rain poured down on the mountain slopes of Xuan Luong commune, Bac Ninh province. The howling wind mingled with the roar of the rising floodwaters, submerging the entire Con Trang village in a sea of water. In a small, one-story house nestled on the hillside, Mrs. Sam Thi Mien (nearly 70 years old) trembled, clutching her granddaughter, a fourth-grade student. The floodwaters rose by minute, icy cold. Outside, it was pitch black.
Ms. Mien's house was located in a low-lying area. In a short time, water flooded into her bedroom. Amidst the imminent danger, youth union members and local authorities from Xuan Luong commune appeared in front of Ms. Mien's house with flashing flashlights and shouts for help.
Over 12,000 households relocated from danger zone.
In the recent period, the Youth Union at all levels has promoted the pioneering role of young people in responding to natural disasters, storms, and floods, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of Youth Union members to participate in the evacuation of people and the khắc phục hậu quả of natural disasters in localities.
In 2025, the Central Committee of the Youth Union organized delegations to distribute gifts in Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh provinces, with a total resource value of nearly 7 billion VND. The green volunteer uniforms were present in these disaster-stricken areas.
Specifically, from May to August 2025, provincial and city Youth Unions regularly maintained 1,400 volunteer teams for disaster prevention and relief, addressing the consequences of storms and floods on-site, with the participation of nearly 32,000 young people. Through these efforts, the teams relocated over 12,000 households from dangerous areas; reinforced over 8,200 houses; assisted in the evacuation of nearly 47,000 livestock; trimmed and secured over 17,000 trees; reinforced and protected 524 key infrastructure projects; cleaned approximately 2,800 roads, over 3,200 classrooms, and 246 agency offices; repaired 87 rural bridges and 196 km of rural roads. (Xuan Tung)
Unable to access the house through the front door due to the strong current and rising water, the volunteers and authorities had to climb onto the roof and remove tiles to rescue Mrs. Mien and her grandchild. To this day, the poor woman still hasn't forgotten that terrifying night and the image of the young people rushing into the floodwaters to save her.
“At that time, only I, an old woman, and my young grandchild were in the house, and the floodwaters were rising so quickly that we were very scared. The youth union members and the functional forces of Xuan Luong commune came to our rescue in time, and my grandchild and I were very moved…,” Mrs. Mien said emotionally.
In the days following the floodwaters receding, Con Trang village was covered in a thick, brown layer of mud. In Mrs. Mien's small house, the tables and chairs were askew, the blankets and sheets smelled musty, and her grandson's books were smudged and torn from being soaked.
To help the grandmother and granddaughter get back to normal life as soon as possible, dozens of youth union members from Xuan Luong commune were present from early morning. Some shoveled mud, others scrubbed, some rearranged beds and furniture, and others wiped clean the remaining books.
Ms. Than Thi Sao Mai, Secretary of the Youth Union of Xuan Luong commune, is well aware of the circumstances of the grandmother and granddaughter. “Ms. Mien is in a very difficult situation. She is old and lives with her young granddaughter. Only the two of them rely on each other, and they are classified as a poor household. Therefore, the Youth Union members in the commune volunteered to support her family,” Ms. Mai said.
Besides helping clean the house, the youth union members also collected clothes, books, and school supplies for Nong Bao An, Mrs. Mien's granddaughter. An's parents divorced, and she has lived with her grandmother since she was little. After the flood, An's small study corner was damaged, and the writing in her books was smudged due to the water. Knowing her difficult situation, the Bac Ninh Provincial Youth Union and the Xuan Luong Commune Youth Union mobilized support to help An continue attending school. Later, An and her grandmother also received 10 million VND in support from the Central Youth Union, along with books, school supplies, and many other necessities such as rice, instant noodles, milk, and cooking oil.
Not only Xuan Luong, but in the early days of October 2025, many localities in Bac Ninh province were also submerged after the historic flood. In My Thai commune, floodwaters overflowed many roads, isolating many villages. In some places, only the rooftops of houses could be seen protruding from the murky water.
At that time, Nguyen Van Hoa, the Secretary of the Youth Union of My Thai commune, stayed awake for many nights in a row. For many days, he and about 100 Youth Union members and young people divided themselves up to go to each residential area to assist people in evacuating. There were many elderly and infirm people, and the young people had to carry each person across the strong currents. In some isolated houses, the young people rowed boats to deliver instant noodles, drinking water, and medicine.
“At that time, we only thought about how to help people affected by the storms and floods. Some days we worked all night. Wherever people needed help, we were ready to be there to assist,” said Mr. Hoa.
Kitchen of Compassion
In early October last year, rising floodwaters on the Cau River submerged hundreds of households in two villages outside the dike (in Tam Giang commune). Many houses were only visible from view, with only their roofs visible. Familiar roads were transformed into vast waterways. In this emergency situation, many students were moved to school to escape the floods and continue their studies. Some had to be separated from their parents for days because their families remained trapped in the flooded areas.
In those makeshift shelters, what warmed the children's hearts the most were the hot meals. The "Kitchen of Compassion" was set up during the rainy season and floods. The core force consisted of youth union members from Tam Giang commune.
According to Mr. Tran Van Dang, Secretary of the Bac Ninh Provincial Youth Union, during the 2025 floods, the Youth Union branches at all levels in the province established rapid response teams. Working day and night, more than 5,000 Youth Union members and young people were present at critical points, participating in building dikes, reinforcing embankments, securing houses, relocating property, assisting people in evacuating to safe places, and cleaning up after the floodwaters receded.
Ms. Duong Thi Quynh, Secretary of the Youth Union of Tam Giang commune, still vividly remembers the image of the kitchen with its fire burning for many days. “At that time, two villages outside the dike in Tam Giang commune were deeply submerged in floodwaters. Hundreds of students had to be evacuated to escape the floods, far from their parents, so we tried our best to provide them with sufficient meals to ensure their health and ability to study,” Ms. Quynh recounted.
Every day, starting at 5 a.m., about 30 volunteers are present to prepare meals. Some wash rice, others pick vegetables, some chop meat, and others light the stove. In the makeshift kitchen, the rising smoke and the aroma of hot, fragrant food dispel the damp, cold air of the floodwaters. Everyone is covered in mud, but their faces still shine with joy. On average, about 500 meals are delivered daily to students and the elderly sheltering from the floods.
“The charitable kitchens during floods are not only a way to cope with natural disasters but also a symbol of solidarity and the warm human connection in the countryside of Bac Ninh. During the floods, the youth union members here have lit the flame of love to overcome difficult times together,” added Ms. Quynh.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/cuu-dan-trong-lu-du-post1852755.tpo
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