From bridges... building the future
Winter in the Meo Vac highlands is unlike any other. The cold mountain wind from the gray cat-ear rocks blows through the crevices of the rocks, the drizzle is like silk thread through the gaps of clothes, soaking into the skin. However, in the midst of that biting cold, Na Nong village (Nam Ban commune) suddenly became unusually bustling during the inauguration ceremony of the Dr. Thanh Son 2 bridge (6m long, 2.5m wide, total cost of more than 250 million VND).
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People, sponsors and local authorities rejoiced on the inauguration day of Dr. Thanh Son 2 People's Bridge - a bridge connecting trust and the future. |
From early morning, groups of Mong and Giay people dressed in traditional costumes, holding their children by the hand, smiling brightly. The muddy road was now filled with flags and flowers, as colorful as the joy spreading throughout the mountains and forests. For them, this was not just a new bridge but a dream after many years of struggling with rain, floods, mud, and fear of slipping every time they crossed the stream.
The bridge is short, but it spans great things: from isolation to connection, from hardship to peace, from fear to hope. And the person who contributed to building that bridge is Captain Nguyen Duc Minh.
Without speaking or standing on the podium, he was quietly present from the day of the groundbreaking. He personally surveyed the bridge foundation, followed each batch of concrete, and carried each bag of materials up the steep slope as if he was not simply building a structure but creating a safe future for the villagers.
“Now, people going to the market and children going to school are no longer afraid of flood water. We are very grateful to comrade Minh, the local government and the benefactors,” Ms. Vang Thi Sam (Na Nong village) said emotionally, her eyes filled with tears as she held the children’s hands and ran across the new bridge.
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Captain Nguyen Duc Minh shares joy with the people of Na Nong village, Nam Ban commune (Meo Vac, Ha Giang ). |
Not stopping at Na Nong - where the terrain is still relatively flat, Captain Nguyen Duc Minh continued to cross mountains and forests to reach Na Hin village, an isolated residential area with rugged terrain, a life of deprivation and the aspiration to escape poverty still far away in the eyes of children.
Na Hin is a village inhabited by 100% Giay people, with a poverty rate of over 67%. During the rainy season, the small stream suddenly becomes a “barrier of death”, with rising water sweeping away all paths and makeshift bridges. Adults do not dare to go to the village, and children have to take long days off school because there is no way to get to school.
“One day the water rose so fast that a child was almost swept away. The whole village was in panic, and no one dared to go to the stream for several days,” recalled Mr. Vang Van Phu, Secretary of the village Party Cell.
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Temporary bamboo bridge in Na Hin village, Nam Ban commune - where people used to have to cross the stream by primitive means before the new bridge was built. |
Witnessing this reality, Captain Nguyen Duc Minh quietly appeared. He surveyed the terrain, listened to the people, recorded every sharp turn, every rapid water position, then proactively called for sponsorship, mobilized charitable organizations and businesses to join hands in building the bridge. Thanks to that, 3 sturdy concrete bridges were built, each worth more than 100 million VND.
These bridges not only connect the two banks of the stream but also connect separated dreams, interrupted classes, and markets that were abandoned because of floods. Now, people can trade more conveniently, students no longer miss school because of rain, and pregnant women can go to the health station without worrying about the danger of crossing the stream.
“Each bridge is a way out – out of isolation, out of endless poverty, opening the way to knowledge for the younger generation. It is not just about building infrastructure, but building trust, building the future,” Mr. Hoang Le Duan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Nam Ban commune, affirmed.
No need for loud slogans or loud speeches, that policeman quietly leaves his mark on every sustainable bridge, with personal prestige, kindness and a simple philosophy: bringing trust to the right place where people need it most.
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Each new concrete bridge not only connects the two banks, but also connects dreams of peace, realizing the desire for change in the highlands. |
In 5 years (2020-2025), Captain Nguyen Duc Minh has mobilized, connected and directly deployed 15 concrete bridges for people, 6 schools, 3 charity houses, 3 roads, 3 street lighting systems, 3 boarding kitchens, along with tens of thousands of gifts, seedlings, essential supplies... with a total value of more than 17 billion VND - all without a single budget, without any support project, but starting from the personal reputation and trust he built.
“Only when you are truly committed will people trust you with money and materials. When doing charity, you have to be clear about every penny and every bag of cement,” he said.
These actions have led many people to mistake him for a full-time social worker. But in fact, Captain Nguyen Duc Minh’s main task is closely linked to the provincial capital – where he silently “keeps the waves” peaceful for the people through each emergency call.
Keep the waves calm – Sow seeds of hope
Although he is deeply attached to the highlands, his daily responsibilities are at the center - the place that receives and handles situations related to security and order via the phone number 113. Whether it is late at night, in the rain or on Tet holiday, as soon as a distress call is heard, he immediately sets off - leaving his meal and sleep, rushing as if his loved ones were in trouble.
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Captain Nguyen Duc Minh (sitting) directly handles emergency calls at the command center – where he quietly “keeps the waves” peaceful for the people. |
Born in 1988 in Nam Dinh , he brought with him the baggage of a dedicated and brave police officer, and then took root in the highlands of Ha Giang - where there are more rocks than soil, where the cold cannot cut through the feelings.
“For me, every call is a cry for help, a sign of people’s trust. I cannot let them down,” he shared.
Since 2018, he has handled more than 18,400 calls; from fires, fights, drug trafficking, to rescuing suicidal people. Each call requires alertness, decisiveness, and sometimes courage to cross the line between life and death.
But “keeping the waves” for peace is not only a quick response in an emergency, but also a long-term value creation. Whether in the center or the border, in the phone signal or among the rocks, he is always a “silent support” so that each citizen feels not alone.
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The works bear the mark of “bridge builders” – helping children in the highlands have spacious classrooms. |
Honor – not a slogan but a way of life
As a party member and a People's Public Security officer, Captain Nguyen Duc Minh always clearly defines the boundary between right and wrong, between personal and community interests. In political activities with the theme "Honor is the most sacred and noble thing", he not only propagates but is also a living proof.
Strictly implementing the police regulations and maintaining exemplary conduct, he is ready to criticize any signs of ideological degradation in the unit. “Doing the right thing is to protect the organization and keep the people’s trust,” he said.
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A shining example of learning from Uncle Ho in the mountainous border area of Ha Giang - Captain Nguyen Duc Minh, officer of the Department of Administrative Management of Social Order, Ha Giang Provincial Police. |
Captain Nguyen Duc Minh's dedication and contribution have been recognized with many noble awards: National Volunteer Award; Title of Emulation Fighter at the grassroots level for 3 consecutive years (2022-2024); honored in the book "Examples of good people and good deeds studying Uncle Ho" of the Propaganda Department of Ha Giang Provincial Party Committee for the period 2022-2024; Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of Ha Giang Provincial People's Committee; Certificate of Merit from the Director of the Provincial Police and the People's Committees of Bac Quang, Meo Vac, Quan Ba, Vi Xuyen, Hoang Su Phi districts...
On a late April afternoon, when many people were busy preparing for the holiday, Captain Nguyen Duc Minh was still present in Coc Rac hamlet, Thanh Tin border commune (Hoang Su Phi district), commanding the final stages of the people's bridge. In the drizzle and strong mountain wind, he quietly carried cement, bent steel, and put all his effort into each concrete pouring step, as if sending his whole heart as a soldier to the people's project.
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Amidst the mountain wind and drizzle, a smile still blooms on the face of Captain Nguyen Duc Minh - the man who crosses forests and streams to bring peace to the people in the remote areas of Ha Giang. |
"As long as people stay and children go to school, we are not allowed to stop," he said.
For him, “honor is the most sacred and noble thing” is not a slogan, but a way of life – persistent, silent, imprinted in every bridge and light in the highland border areas. Amidst the countless bustling sounds of the times, there are still people who choose to live quietly but deeply, like a lasting bridge to the hearts of the people in the border areas of the Fatherland.
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/phong-su-dieu-tra/cuoc-thi-nhung-tam-guong-binh-di-ma-cao-quy-lan-thu-16/dai-uy-nguyen-duc-minh-xay-nhung-nhip-cau-den-long-dan-noi-bien-cuong-to-quoc-830574
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