Ms. Nguyen (far left) campaigned and connected with others to build houses for two orphaned students in the ward.

"As a central ward of the town, there are still many women and children in difficult circumstances who need attention. This has motivated me to constantly think about ways to help and share some of the difficulties faced by underprivileged women and children in the ward," shared Ms. Vo Thi Nguyen.

Based on that working principle, she focused on capturing and fostering the spirit of "mutual support" and "helping those in need" within each member, so that female members and grassroots women could share, help each other, and unite to build a stronger and more vibrant women's association movement.

Ms. Ngo Thi Khanh, Head of the Women's Association in Group 1, Phu Bai Ward, said: "Ms. Nguyen is a passionate and dedicated person, creative in her leadership and management, especially in building movements and creating healthy recreational activities for members. She has brought out the strengths of each branch so that the women can develop them. She has fostered unity and mutual support among the women. Not only does she accompany and share with poor women and children in the ward, but she also always reminds the local associations to care for, help, and prioritize members in difficult circumstances."

Ms. Nguyen established various models and clubs to attract a large number of members and women to participate in association activities, such as the "Women in the Military Village Actively Participating in Association Activities" model, the "Parents Saying No to Child Violence" club, the "Good Parents Raising Children" club, the "Volleyball" club, and the "Living a Good Life and Upholding Moral Values" club for religious women. She also organized activities such as "Flower Arranging Contests," "Cooking Contests," "Culinary Exchanges," and "Folk Dance" events. These vibrant activities have attracted an increasing number of female members and women to participate.

To ensure the effectiveness and widespread reach of the "Godmother Program – supporting the care and upbringing of orphaned children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other difficult circumstances," she did not hesitate to reach out to connect with philanthropists. Currently, nine children in the ward have received sponsorship. She also mobilized philanthropists to build "Houses of Love" for two orphaned children, raising 52 million VND.

On the day they received their new house, Bui Bao Linh and her sister, from Group 2, Phu Bai Ward, couldn't hide their emotions: "Without a mother, and feeling sorry for our father who single-handedly raised us, even though our house was dilapidated and lacked everything, we never complained and never dared to dream of a nicer house. We always tried our best in our studies and did housework to ease our father's burden. Now, thanks to Aunt Nguyen and the other women in the Women's Association who helped build a sturdy house, gave us gifts, and always cared for our family and us, we are very happy and touched."

She consistently stays close to the community, understanding the difficult circumstances of women to provide timely livelihood support and help them develop their long-term economic well-being . During the year, the Women's Union of the ward provided livelihood support to 5 women returning from epidemic-affected areas who were in difficult circumstances, giving each household 40 chicks. The branches supported livelihoods for 53 members in difficult circumstances, and provided scholarships for orphans… Through fundraising from benefactors, 758 gifts totaling 345 million VND were given to poor and near-poor households, women members in difficult circumstances, single mothers, and people with disabilities… and 159 scholarships were awarded to students in difficult circumstances. They also established a "Cabinet of Loving Ao Dai" and a "Give what you have, receive what you need" initiative, donating 425 sets of traditional Ao Dai to female officials and members in difficult circumstances who did not have the opportunity to wear them.

The voluntary savings model at the branch also maintained nearly 1 billion VND, supporting 175 women with interest-free loans for production and business, helping them escape poverty. Through this activity, many effective economic development models have emerged.

Companionship, closeness, understanding, and sharing are what Ms. Vo Thi Nguyen has offered to members, women, and poor and vulnerable children in Phu Bai ward during her more than 27 years of service. She deserves to be a role model of an enthusiastic, dedicated, dynamic, creative, and responsible female leader for other association officials to learn from and emulate. It is precisely because of her dedicated and responsible work that she has always been highly appreciated by all levels, and she was one of the 19 association presidents recently commended by the Provincial Women's Union.

Text and photos: Thanh Thảo – Phương Thanh