Inauguration of the 300-meter Bridge of Hope

In Dong Thap, the Duong Cay Bridge , spanning the Rach Ap River, was inaugurated amidst the joyous celebrations of hundreds of local residents.

Late in the afternoon, residents of An Phu Thuan commune, Chau Thanh district, lingered at the newly completed bridge, sharing in the joy of the inauguration. "Everyone was amazed and praised the new bridge as being so well-built," shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Head of Phu Thanh hamlet.

Inauguration of the Hope Bridge 300. Photo: Vinh Nghi

Recalling the old bridge, Mr. Huynh Van Nhuong said that the previous concrete bridge was narrow, built more than 20 years ago, only wide enough for one tricycle to pass at a time. Because it was built on a steep slope, people on one side could hardly see other people moving across at the same time. Midway across the bridge, one side had to slide downhill, making crossing difficult. "Many roads passed over this bridge. It was small, narrow, and dilapidated. Everyone who crossed complained about the difficulty," Mr. Nhuong said.

Responding to the aspirations of the people, a new bridge was built with the joint efforts of the Hope Foundation, the local government, and others. During the construction days, people along the Rach Ap canal contributed their labor, cooked meals, and prepared drinks to entertain the workers. After three months of construction, the bridge's inauguration day marked the fulfillment of a long-held dream for hundreds of people. The new concrete bridge is 50 meters long and 3.7 meters wide, costing over 1.2 billion VND, of which the Hope Foundation contributed 200 million VND, with the remainder provided by the local government.

Residents living around the Vam Rach Nuoc Trong bridge (Lai Vung district) are also eagerly awaiting its completion. Attending the groundbreaking ceremony on May 16th, Mr. Nguyen Van Sang recounted that the old bridge was narrow, forcing farmers to transport their produce by motorboat or push small carts across. The difficult transportation meant that he and dozens of other farmers were often forced to sell their produce at low prices, and even with a good harvest, they couldn't fully enjoy the success.

"Mangoes, oranges, and pomelos weighing tens of tons have to be pushed across the bridge in wheelbarrows weighing only a few dozen kilograms each, it's extremely hard work," Mr. Sang said. Therefore, the commencement of construction on the new bridge (Hy Vong Bridge 297) has brought joy to many people, as it will soon facilitate travel and make gardening and farming easier. Along with Hy Vong Bridge 300 and 297, 12 other bridges were also inaugurated and commenced construction in Chau Thanh and Lai Vung districts on May 16th.

Groundbreaking ceremony for Hope Bridge 297. Photo: Vinh Nghi

Mr. Le Hoang Quyet, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Union of Dong Thap province, who has been a constant companion throughout the bridge construction journey, said that the Hope Fund's project has connected the bridge spans according to the aspirations of the local people.

Furthermore, the fund always stands alongside the local community, readily sharing the difficulties of the people and bringing meaningful, sustainable projects with long-lasting value to the community. "The bridges connecting the two banks are a shared joy for the people, clearly shown through the sharing and smiles when we go to the groundbreaking and inauguration ceremonies of the Hope Bridges," he shared.

Ms. Truong Thanh Thanh, Chairwoman of the Hope Foundation, said that five years ago the foundation only hoped to build 100 bridges for rural people, but by the end of this year, that number could reach 350. According to her, this unexpected result comes from the unity and joint efforts not only of benefactors through the Hope Foundation but also of local people and authorities at all levels.

She was also very impressed with the volunteer bridge-building teams that worked alongside them. "Everywhere we went, we met men and women working together to build charitable bridges – a very distinctive characteristic of the people of Southern Vietnam," Ms. Thanh shared.

To join the Hope Foundation in improving the quality of life for people in the Mekong Delta, readers can find more information about the project and participate here.

Ngoc Tai

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/khanh-thanh-cau-hy-vong-300-4606227.html