The bond of friendship between "fish and water"

Vinh Hoi Dong is a border commune in An Phu district. Although the lives of the people have improved, many difficulties still remain. To share these difficulties and strengthen the bond between the people and the "Uncle Ho's soldiers," many practical activities have been implemented.

The bond between the people and the army is deep and close.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Sam (72 years old, residing in Vinh Hoi hamlet) toiled tirelessly in the fields, struggling to provide for her seven children. As her children grew up, they all started their own families and built their own lives. One might have thought the burden would finally be lifted from this hardworking woman's shoulders, allowing her to enjoy her old age in peace. But poverty continued to plague her and her husband. One of their children's marriages ended, and they went away to work, leaving their two granddaughters for them to care for. They could manage to get by, but the illnesses of old age struck her down, leaving her unable to even sit up.

“When I was healthy, during this season, I would take advantage of the opportunity to glean rice, sometimes getting a whole bushel. I took care of all the cooking, housework, and other chores. Unexpectedly, for many months now, I've suffered complications from diabetes, unable to walk, confined to my hospital bed, enduring one wave of pain after another. No matter how much my children love me, they can only save a few hundred thousand dong to send home each month because they have their own lives to worry about. Even with all the money we gather, it's only enough to buy medicine for me to get through the day,” Mrs. Sam shared with difficulty.

The greatest source of peace of mind for this couple, who are now officially classified as "poor," is their pair of seven-month-old cows, which promise to become their main source of livelihood. Their joy also comes from the fact that their granddaughter, Le Thi Ngoc Tham (9th grade, Vinh Hoi Dong Secondary School), is receiving support from officers and soldiers of the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Gate Border Guard Post through the "Helping Children Go to School" program. The monthly allowance of 500,000 VND (contributed by the officers from their salaries) may not be much, but it provides a stable source of income for Tham to cover her school expenses. After purchasing school supplies, Tham saves the remaining money in a piggy bank to nurture her dream of pursuing a career in medicine. "My sister, Le Thi Minh Nguyet, received this support, which allowed her to complete high school and attend a college of medicine. I also want to follow in her footsteps, study hard to become successful, to take care of our grandparents, and to contribute to society," Tham shared.

Opposite the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Guard Post is the small house of Mrs. Tran Thi Tuyet (67 years old). Perhaps, this close neighborly relationship helped three (out of four) of her daughters marry border guards. “I’ve lived here for over 50 years, and been associated with the post for over 30 years. My family has received so much help from the border guards, it’s hard to list it all. They lent us their vacant land to grow corn and make fish sauce for income. When someone in the family is sick, the post’s medical staff comes to check on them. When my husband suffered a stroke after setting traps in the fields, the medical staff wholeheartedly provided first aid and encouraged me to overcome my loss. During holidays and festivals, they always remember to bring gifts to my family. Therefore, we believe in ‘protecting the tree we eat from,’ and whenever we see any problems in the village or on the border, we make sure to inform them…” – Mrs. Tuyet recounted.

Providing financial support for Thắm.

Major Vo Van Toan, Political Officer of the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Gate Border Guard Station, recently completed a long-term specialized training course after being assigned to a new unit. Taking advantage of his free time, Major Toan and the station's command staff visited and learned about the lives of several households in the area under his responsibility. During these trips, he learned that, in addition to focusing on the education of Le Thi Ngoc Tham, it was necessary to find ways to help Mrs. Nguyen Thi Sam overcome her illness and to pay attention to the dilapidated and unstable house where she and her husband lived. He also listened to Ms. Tuyet's concerns about her grandson, Lam Thanh Khang, who is in the second grade. "He is eligible for the 'Helping Children Go to School' support program, so the unit will consider adding him to the list in the near future. At the same time, we are discussing Ms. Sam's difficult situation with the local authorities to find appropriate ways to help her. Only when people have stable family lives can they contribute to local development, maintain national border security, and become the eyes and ears of the border guard forces," Major Vo Van Toan emphasized.

Besides the "Adopted Children of Border Guard Posts" and "Helping Children Go to School" models, the border guard forces in general, and the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Gate Border Guard Post in particular, also care for the lives of the people in the border area by sharing "Rice Jars of Compassion," mobilizing livelihoods, and providing essential goods regularly. Major Vo Van Toan himself recently received a commendation from the Head of the General Political Department for his outstanding performance in the "Effective Mass Mobilization" emulation campaign in ethnic minority and mountainous areas from 2019 to 2024. Major Toan humbly stated: "I alone could not have achieved this success; it is a collective achievement, the joint contribution of the entire unit, creating a 'Effective Mass Mobilization' movement, all focused on the people and the grassroots, building strong trust so that the people cooperate and assist the border guard forces in managing and protecting the border."

The recognition from superiors and the close relationship with the people in the border region will be a great motivation for each border guard officer to continue to uphold the bond of "the army and the people are like fish and water"; to think more deeply and act more to create a strong and lasting unity on the border of the Fatherland.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nghia-tinh-ca-nuoc--a417559.html