Poor households in Chau Thanh district are delighted to celebrate Chol Chnam Thmay Tet in their new homes.

STO - The traditional Chôl Chnăm Thmây New Year of the Khmer people is not only a time for family reunions but also brings hope for a prosperous and peaceful new year. For poor and near-poor households in Soc Trang province in general, and Chau Thanh district in particular, this year is especially significant as they celebrate the New Year in spacious new homes, replacing their previous dilapidated and leaky temporary shelters.

Celebrate Tet meaningfully in your new home.

As Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) approaches, the atmosphere in the Khmer communities of Chau Thanh district is more vibrant than ever. People are busy cleaning and decorating their homes to welcome the new year. What's special this year is that many impoverished and disadvantaged Khmer households will be celebrating Chol Chnam Thmay in new houses built with support from the local government.

The family of Ms. Danh Thi Chuol, residing in Tho Hoa Dong B hamlet, Phu Tam commune (Chau Thanh district), is one of the impoverished households that received support from the local government and benefactors to build a new house. The house has now been completed and put into use in time for the Chol Chnam Thmay Tet (New Year). Ms. Chuol emotionally shared: “I never thought I would have such a sturdy house. This year's Tet is truly complete as the whole family can gather in our new home.”

Mr. Kim Nhieu, from Phu Huu hamlet, Phu Tam commune, Chau Thanh district ( Soc Trang province), is delighted that his new house was completed just in time for the Chol Chnam Thmay Tet holiday in 2025. Photo: THACH PICH

Sharing in the joy, this year's Chôl Chnăm Thmây Tet (Vietnamese New Year) celebration is also being held in a sturdy brick house by Mr. Kim Nhiểu, from Phú Hữu hamlet, Phú Tâm commune. His family is classified as poor, without land for farming, and their income is unstable. He and his wife have three children, the youngest son suffering from a congenital disease. Mr. Kim Nhiểu said: “I had planned many times to buy wood and leaves to repair the roof and reinforce the walls, but due to unemployment and unstable income, I couldn't afford to repair the dilapidated house. Thanks to the local government's support and assistance of 60 million VND to build a solid house, I now have a new home! This year's Tet celebration will be much warmer and more comfortable.”

Joining hands to bring joy to impoverished households.

To help poor and near-poor households have stable housing before the Khmer New Year, Chau Thanh district has implemented the program "Joining hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses nationwide in 2025".

According to Comrade Le Hoang Nuoi, ​​Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Chau Thanh District, the District Steering Committee has directed communes to review 347 individuals eligible for the elimination of temporary and dilapidated houses in the district. Of these, 35 are ethnic minorities, 60 are families receiving preferential treatment, and the remainder are near-poor households. Currently, over 230 out of 259 houses have been completed and put into use in the district. For ethnic minority households, the District Party Committee and the District People's Committee have directed that construction be completed before the Chol Chnam Thmay Tet holiday so that the Khmer people can celebrate Tet. For families receiving preferential treatment, the goal is to complete 100% of the work by April 30th. Currently, progress has reached over 90%, with 88 households remaining. We request continued support from the province to strive for completion by June 30th, as directed by the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, in order to complete the construction of dilapidated houses in the district on schedule.

Thanks to the determination of the government and the positive response of the people, hundreds of new houses have been built, helping poor households and families entitled to preferential policies to stabilize their lives. Not only does the program provide people with safe housing, but it also creates momentum for socio -economic development, contributing to improving the quality of life in the locality.

Comrade Chung Thi Phuong Tam - Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Phu Tam commune, expressed: “ Implementing the plan to “Eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses” in 2025, after reviewing the commune, there are 29 households belonging to policy beneficiary families, poor households, and near-poor households that meet the criteria to receive support for new construction or house repair. Of these, 24 households will receive support for new construction and 5 households will receive support for repairs. Supporting the construction of houses for poor and near-poor households is a meaningful act, demonstrating the concern of Party committees, government agencies, and the joint efforts of organizations, philanthropists, and the community. These houses are built from compassionate hearts, helping the poor overcome difficulties in life. Especially the poor Khmer households, they are very happy to celebrate the Chol Chnam Thmay New Year in their new, warm and cozy homes.”

Laughter rings out in the new homes, a Tet celebration not only filled with traditional sticky rice cakes and Rom Vong dances, but also with the joy of family reunions under spacious roofs. This is proof of the Party and State's concern and the community's solidarity in caring for the lives of poor and near-poor households, aiming for a better future.

JADE

Source: https://baosoctrang.org.vn/xa-hoi/202504/ho-ngheo-huyen-chau-thanh-phan-khoi-don-tet-chol-chnam-thmay-trong-can-nha-moi-b322eb0/