As the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2025) approaches, many memories of the profession come flooding back to our minds. Many people do not believe that a female reporter rides a motorbike "alone" to work in remote districts such as Kong Chro, Kbang... One day, she left in the morning and returned in the afternoon, covering a total distance of about... 240 km. Rain or shine, day or night, the constant and very specific difficulties of the job are accepted by us, as an inevitable part.
The great motivation for us to overcome the challenge is the excitement of the readers' anticipation and response to the articles. There are many humane stories about life, many feelings of fate; efforts to improve the economy , preserve culture; the fight against the bad, the evil, honoring the beautiful, the good and many inspirational messages... which without the meticulous research, capture and expression of journalists, not many people would know.
On the other hand, those working in the media are “energized” by the sincere, unconditional love of people in disadvantaged areas. I still remember one afternoon, with a rumbling stomach, when I visited a family in Ayun commune (Chu Se district) many years ago. Ayun is the poorest commune in Chu Se district, where the lives of the Bahnar people are extremely difficult. In the simple kitchen, the host did not hesitate to share with us a few handfuls of rice to dip with the only “food”: a bowl of salt and chili pepper pounded with bitter melon.
It is impossible to forget the sweetness of the new rice mixed with the saltiness of the salt, the bitterness of the eggplant, and the spiciness of the chili. And that was the simplest but most delicious meal of our journalism career in the remote area.
In early 2024, we attended the Gau Tao festival of the Mong people in Ya Hoi commune, Dak Po district. Although they have left their homeland Cao Bang for more than 40 years, the people still preserve and maintain the beauty of their traditional cultural identity. The attraction comes from the colorful fringed dresses, graceful headdresses, unique panpipe dances and folk games such as throwing con, eating men men contests... making everyone attending excited.
By 9am, the sun was blazing like noon, but the activities were still going on vigorously. Taking advantage of a spot at the table that the Commune People's Committee had prepared, I sat down and typed information quickly to send to the editorial office despite the scorching sun. Suddenly, I felt a cool area right above my head. Looking up, I saw a Hmong woman holding an umbrella to help shade me from the sun. She said simply: I'm standing here watching the festival anyway, so it's like killing two birds with one stone. And then, she patiently stood there until I finished sending the news.
It turns out, it doesn’t need to be anything big, sometimes, just a small shade like that can make our hearts filled with gratitude. I found out her name was Ly Thi Van, we also took a photo together as a souvenir. That photo is kept by me as an unforgettable memory of my career.
During the hard days of working, we also received a lot of sincere help from people with "brown skin, bright eyes, gentle physique". I still remember, also in early 2024, I and 2 colleagues had a business trip to Ha Dong commune, Dak Doa district. The commune is more than 60 km from the center of Pleiku city but is considered an "oasis" due to its geographical isolation.
To get to Ha Dong, the car had to cross many dangerous, deserted mountain passes, many sections without phone signal or houses or shops. We arrived and worked until noon, but the car could not be started and was stuck in the yard of the commune People's Committee headquarters. The local mechanics were helpless and had to call for help from Pleiku City, who rushed in with a bunch of tools.
By nearly 8pm, darkness had fallen on all sides, but all efforts were futile. The car needed some parts replaced. So the mechanic had to turn back and come back the next day. The worry and the lingering cold of the season made everyone uneasy.
While we were discussing the plan to find a place to stay in Ha Dong, Mr. Um - the Commander of the Commune Military Command - came over to ask questions. Very quickly after that, he asked us to borrow his Ford Escape to return to Pleiku so that we could take care of our house and children.
The Bahnar man said: He bought the car to provide a service to pick up and drop off people in the commune when they need emergency care because this place is quite isolated from the district center, if he waits for a car from the district to come in, it will be too late.
Mr. Um's decision to lend his car surprised the whole group, because before that, the two sides had never known each other. We had also done nothing to deserve such attention. It is worth mentioning that when we returned the car, he refused to accept any service fee. It was simply helping people in need, that's all. However, recently, through an acquaintance in the commune, we were shocked to hear that Mr. Um passed away from a stroke at the end of October 2024. The car he often used to promptly take people to the emergency room was not in time to save his life.
My heart is full of sorrow. How can I express my deep gratitude to those who have loved and sincerely helped us to do our work selflessly and without any profit, in a life where it seems like nothing comes without a price, nothing is given without conditions.
The Central Highlands is the land that has given us such ideal working conditions, allowing us to meet wonderful people in a place where even the name of the place sounds like a deep place. That is the spiritual strength that we journalists have, to defy hardships to bring stories and valuable information to our readers.
Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/lam-bao-vung-kho-post327386.html
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