The old soldier with a desire to help the poor.

"Mr. Huy the Piggy Bank" is the nickname many people in An Hien village, Quang Bi commune, affectionately give to Mr. Tran Quang Huy, the Party Secretary and Head of the Village Front Committee. Inspired by his compassionate heart, many in the village and commune have followed his example, leading to the development of charitable activities in the locality and helping many people in difficult circumstances improve their lives.

The piggy bank in the small kitchen

Mr. Tran Quang Huy presents gifts to war invalids affected by Agent Orange.

The story of Mr. Tran Quang Huy's family's charitable work to help the poor began with a piggy bank that has always been present in their kitchen since the 2000s. "I told my children and grandchildren to put a few thousand dong into the piggy bank each day. It's not much, but it adds up to a fund to help those in need," Mr. Huy shared with a gentle smile.

Around 2020, as the family savings movement gradually became a habit, Mr. Huy thought about expanding it to the community. Using his personal funds, he bought dozens of piggy banks and donated them to officials and Party members in Hoang Dieu commune, formerly Chuong My district. He said, "I'll light the fire first, and everyone will warm themselves together."

In just one year, the village's piggy bank savings movement was elevated to a new level. He bought 15 piggy banks using his allowance, bonuses, and conference benefits to distribute to many people to "raise" them together. He personally took care of two of them, while he mobilized other philanthropists to contribute to the rest. At the end of the school year, the group would "break open the pigs," donating all the accumulated money to the scholarship fund and awarding scholarships to underprivileged students in the village. Through this persistent effort, for many years, children in this rural area have been motivated to go to school by the rough hands of these elderly veterans. "Mr. Huy does this so the children know that no matter how difficult things are, there are always people by their side," shared Ms. Nguyen Thi Luyen, a parent from An Hien village.

Mr. Huy's small house is almost always full of visitors. Some come to him to share family stories, while others ask if they can join him in doing charitable work.

For example, in early 2023, when Tran Van Phuc, a young man from a newly-emerged-from-poverty village, was involved in a critical traffic accident, his family was in dire straits. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Huy quietly went from street to street, knocking on every door, mobilizing villagers to donate. In a short time, over 70 million VND was handed directly to Phuc's family, with Mr. Huy himself contributing 5 million VND. Phuc recalled with emotion, "Without Mr. Huy, my family probably wouldn't have been able to get back on our feet." Mr. Huy just smiled and said, "Our village is like one big family. When one person is in need, the whole village helps."

Through his persistent charitable work helping the poor and disadvantaged, in 2023, Mr. Tran Quang Huy was honored by the "Acts of Kindness" program of Vietnam Television as one of the 50 outstanding individuals nationwide and had the honor of meeting the President . In April 2025, he was again included among the 100 outstanding individuals attending the Gala celebrating 10 years of the "Acts of Kindness" program and met the President at the Presidential Palace. Mr. Huy's persistent efforts extend beyond his village. In mid-July 2025, Mr. Tran Quang Huy was invited to participate in the filming of the "Journey of Kindness" program organized by Vietnam Television. During the program, he donated eight piggy banks, each worth 1 million VND, to war invalids, sick soldiers, and members affected by Agent Orange.

Mr. Tran Quang Huy shared: "Meeting the President is a great honor, but my greatest joy is seeing the villagers living well together, working together to build a more prosperous and beautiful homeland." With legs that have endured wartime, and a heart always yearning for his former comrades, his journey of doing good deeds to help people is not just about material gifts, but also about the gratitude of an old soldier to his homeland and village. Sitting on his porch, Mr. Huy recounted the years when he enlisted in the army at the age of 20 and fought in Military Region 5. Those memories, for him, are both heroic and poignant, but it was the military environment that forged in him the spirit of "doing whatever benefits the people."

Wholeheartedly devoted to my homeland.

In 2010, with the trust of the local Party committee, government, and people, Mr. Tran Quang Huy was elected Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of the Front Committee of An Hien village. Since then, he has made many contributions to changing the appearance of An Hien village. Approximately 1,000 meters of road in the village have murals painted on the walls of residents' houses. Most roads have flowerbeds and trees. Many paint cans are repurposed as flower pots to minimize plastic waste in the environment.

Walking along the green, clean, and beautiful new rural road, Mr. Huy shared: “In 2011, I went to each house, persuading people to donate nearly 4,000 square ^meters of land to build a sports field. This is a prime piece of land located in the center of the village, so I had to spend a lot of time and effort, even paying upfront compensation to acquire the land for the sports field. This is probably what I am most proud of because with a sports field, children have a place to play and practice sports, which is good for their health and keeps them away from social vices. On the day of the stadium's inauguration, people also contributed to a fund of 114 million VND to develop sports, culture, and help the poor.”

Furthermore, with the desire to improve reading culture and enrich the knowledge of the younger generation, Mr. Huy discussed with the village Party committee and government the establishment of a village library. With the support of the local Party committee and government, and the consensus of the village leaders and residents, for the past 10 years, the An Hien village library has served readers with facilities worth 270 million VND and over 2,000 books of various kinds. Every afternoon after school, children from within and outside the village flock to the library, excitedly reading, some even asking him for help with their studies. For Mr. Huy, this image is what makes him feel that "I still need to do more." "Investing in the intellect of children is sowing the seeds for the future of this village," he said, his voice firm.

By 2019, when the former Chuong My district began implementing the advanced new rural development program, Mr. Huy launched the project "Roads with flowers, numbered houses, murals on walls" with a total budget of nearly 90 million VND. After a month of campaigning and social mobilization, all households in the village had their house numbers assigned in order, the roads were covered with trees and flowers, and the walls on both sides were adorned with murals reflecting the unique character of the homeland.

According to Dao Danh Dung, Deputy Chief of the Office of the People's Committee of Quang Bi Commune: “Veteran, Party Secretary, and Head of the Fatherland Front Committee of An Hien village, Tran Quang Huy, is a highly innovative individual in local activities. Thanks to him, the movements in An Hien village are often used as models for implementation throughout the commune. Typical examples include the model flower-lined road, the waste sorting and treatment model, and the use of billboards, signs, and LED lights for propaganda and promotion. Because of his prestige, Comrade Tran Quang Huy has also mobilized significant support from An Hien residents working away from home for practical activities in his hometown, particularly in helping those in difficult circumstances.”

Now, at 70 years old, he is still enthusiastically involved in social work in the village, actively campaigning for the establishment of various funds, especially to support the poor. The villagers still say to each other: "Mr. Huy is old but more dedicated than even young people." When asked if he's tired, he just smiles: "Doing good deeds makes me healthier. The greatest happiness in life is being able to help others."

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, where many beautiful values ​​are forgotten, Mr. Tran Quang Huy quietly maintains a very simple way of life: saving every penny to help the poor. The heart of this old soldier is like a persistent "oil lamp" in the countryside, not dazzling, but enough to warm and guide many around him.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nguoi-linh-gia-voi-tam-nguyen-giup-nguoi-ngheo-726892.html