The silent hero "heals" the "wounds" of the road

For many years now, the image of Mr. Nguyen Van Kham, residing in Tan Thanh B commune, Tan Hong district, Dong Thap province, sitting diligently patching up the “wounds” on the road surface has become familiar to the people here. The “potholes” that used to haunt the local people have now been “healed” thanks to his talented hands.

Mr. Nguyen Van Kham and his son, Nguyen Quoc Khiem, are repairing the paved road along the Tu Tan canal (Tan Thanh B commune).

From early morning, when everyone was rushing to work, you could see him there, and even in the late afternoon, when people were returning home from work, you could still see him sitting there diligently, tapping away, oblivious to the sun, the dust, and even the passersby.

Starting from the roads his family used to travel on, Khâm gradually expanded his "scope of operation" to major routes such as Gò Tre, the eastern bank of the Sa Rài canal, the western bank of the Tân Thành canal, Provincial Road 843, etc., all bearing the marks of his tireless efforts.

Despite his own modest economic circumstances, with an unstable income from odd jobs that barely supported his family, he has dedicated most of his time and energy to repairing roads for many years, sometimes even on holidays and Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Even with calloused hands from hard work, he always wears a radiant smile whenever he completes a section of road repair.

Perhaps, Mr. Kham’s way of doing things is “unique” in the whole country. Few people think of “patching” roads that are not near their homes. If anything, people only contribute money, and work with the locality to build bridges, roads, upgrade rural roads, alleys, etc. As for Mr. Kham, whenever he sees a “pothole” within his health, he “takes action”. Using a process that is opposite to the asphalt of his profession, he patiently fills the road surface with enthusiasm and the spirit of “me for everyone”.

After work, he often spends time traveling around observing and looking for roads that need repair. The materials he uses to "patch the roads" are usually things he finds himself searching for. All morning, he goes around collecting discarded asphalt from recently completed construction sites. Once the asphalt has hardened, he uses a knife to scrape it off, cleans it of weeds and debris, puts it in a bag, and carries it home.

In front of his house, he painstakingly crushed them into small pieces, mixed them with kerosene, creating a thick mixture. Then, he used small stones to "pound" this mixture into the potholes on the road. Kerosene and the heat of the sun would melt the plastic, then help them stick together. Cars passing over them would compress them, making them more solid. A few hours later, the road surface would be smoother than before, no longer afraid of cars hitting potholes are the secrets shared by Mr. Kham.

Under the scorching sun of the Mekong Delta, amidst the swirling dust and calluses on his hands, nothing could discourage him. For Mr. Kham, repairing roads wasn't simply about fixing damage, but also a way to express his love for his homeland. Each pothole filled brought him a small joy. He worked wholeheartedly, undeterred by difficulties and hardships, hoping only that the country roads would become smoother and safer for the people.

Whenever someone reports a road breakdown, Mr. Kham will be there. It can’t be immediate, but you don’t have to wait too long either. Those who report first will come first, and those who report later will wait a couple of days. Rain or shine, he doesn’t stop. For him, repairing degraded roads is not a duty, but a joy.

Gradually, seeing the meaning of his work, local people and benefactors contributed sand, rocks, cement, etc. for him to go and “heal the wounds” of the roads. They loved him so much that, whenever they saw him stop his car on the side of the road, someone immediately brought him water, someone stopped to ask him questions. Their affection for him was like a sincere thank you, like a great source of encouragement for him to continue his meaningful work.

Mr. Huynh Van Son, a local resident, shared: “The economic situation of Mr. Kham’s family is still difficult, so he is very enthusiastic about business, and always shows the spirit of participating in charity work, sharing and helping many people with his own efforts. I witnessed with my own eyes Mr. Kham “patching” the collapsed and sunken surfaces of the roads…”. Those sincere words partly expressed the respect and gratitude of the people for Mr. Kham.

After many years of volunteer work, Mr. Kham has mobilized people in and outside the locality to donate sand, stone, and cement worth nearly 200 million VND to carry out the work of "healing the wounds" of roads that have collapsed or subsided, especially rural roads in and outside Tan Thanh B commune, with a total length of about 100km.

Not only that, he also inspired his son, Nguyen Quoc Khiem (born 2009) to join this meaningful work. Although still young, Quoc Khiem was very proud to be able to "patch" the road with his father. The boy innocently shared: "I helped carry sand, rocks, carry water, mix mortar... It was tiring but I felt very happy because it helped smooth the road and make driving smoother. Later, when my father is old and weak, I will continue the work of repairing and patching the road." The boy's innocent words touched the hearts of many people.

Mr. Kham's meaningful work has recently been duly recognized when he was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Head of the Central Propaganda Department for his outstanding achievements in studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style. The rough and bumpy country roads have now become smooth, contributing significantly to the local socio-economic development.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/nguoi-hung-tham-lang-va-lanh-nhung-vet-thuong-duong-368346.html