A group of philanthropists set up a field kitchen at the flood center of Hoa Thinh commune, Dak Lak (formerly Tay Hoa district, Phu Yen ) to cook thousands of hot meals to support people - Photo: LE TRUNG
Four days after the flood left behind a desolate scene, from noon on November 24, in villages such as Van Duc and Ha Yen (Tuy An Dong, Dak Lak ) downstream of the Ky Lo River, the warmth of village life began to return.
Smoke billowed from every house after many days of being submerged by floodwaters.
At 11am, the concrete road leading to the middle of Ha Yen village was crowded with people walking hurriedly to receive relief supplies. Under the coconut grove and banana trees that had just been battered by the storm, smoke from the kitchen of the house below of Mr. Le Phuoc Thanh and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thuy Linh was billowing.
Normal life is gradually returning, although there are still many hardships and difficulties ahead.
With a stove and fire, you don't have to worry about hunger or cold.
Mr. HO VAN TAM
The kitchen group keeps the village and houses warm.
In his downstairs room, Mr. Thanh, his wife and daughter were sitting and slurping noodles. Only those who had been through the flood could understand how precious a bowl of steaming instant noodles is these days.
Occasionally, between meals, Mrs. Linh would run to the kitchen next to the well to push firewood to keep the fire from going out.
Mrs. Linh was quite hesitant when asked to open the lid of the large, steaming cast iron pot on the stove. She said... she was just boiling water from one pot to another to save time on the stove, the smoke and fire were also drying everything, most importantly, it was keeping the house warm after many days of paralysis.
Families like Mrs. Linh and Mr. Thanh in Ha Yen village have just experienced the most terrible flood in decades.
On the night of November 19th and early morning of November 20th, the water from the lower Ky Lo River overflowed the dike as if it had burst and rushed straight into the village on the other side. The sound of cows and buffaloes mooing, the sound of children crying mixed with the voices of adults calling each other to run away from the flood.
But no one was faster than the water. In just a moment, the peaceful village along the dike, hidden under the tall coconut trees, was submerged in the sea.
The stove of "resurrection"
At noon on November 24, the villages downstream of the Ky Lo River felt the warmth of life return. Houses, after many days of being submerged in mud, were now drier, and the mud was pushed away to make room for children to lie down and adults to rest.
When food is continuously provided by benefactors, many people take advantage of their time at home to fix things and dry clothes. The kitchen is the most sacred, warm and cozy space in the rural villages, so mothers and grandmothers try to find ways to rekindle the fire.
On the muddy road, Mr. Ho Van Phi, his wife, Mrs. Dang Thi Thong Hang, and their two children had their lunch served on the porch. Next, the wooden doors still had mud stains that had not been washed off, and several bags of rice that had been soaked in water were spread out on the floor to dry, but they were soggy and smelled sour.
Mr. Phi and his wife and children sat down to eat their first home-cooked meal after four days of being submerged in floodwaters. On a small tray, a pot of white rice cooked in an aluminum pot was steaming.
Mr. Phi said that because the gas stove was gone and there was no lamp oil, he went to collect dry coconut leaves and his wife took a few kilos of rice donated by a benefactor to start a stove to cook a meal for their two children.
"The children had indigestion after eating instant noodles for several days and cried all night. I told my wife to do everything she could to light the stove. The lighter was also lost, so I went to get fire for my wife to light the stove. This lunch was the first meal since the flood. The meal consisted of hot rice, salty food, and some green vegetables," said Mr. Phi.
Among hundreds of households along the Ky Lo River through Ha Yen village, the family of Mr. Ho Van Tam, his wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyen, and their son are perhaps the earliest to return to life after the flood.
On the morning of November 24, Mr. Tam sat down with his neighbors to take apart his motorbike to wash it because the mechanic refused to take him for repair. Mr. Tam said that his house was close to the river, but he was the luckiest because it did not collapse, and he was able to keep six cows and two calves alive. In particular, he was able to "run" some rice and find the gas stove again...
"On the night of November 19, the water rose very fast. I told my wife to stay upstairs and hold on tight to the rice bag so that if she got hungry, she would have something to eat. I swam down to the kitchen alone to remove the stove and unplug the gas line, but the water was so strong that it swept the stove away.
I lifted the gas tank high, ran out and grabbed the six cows outside the pen, then held their noses out of the water. I sat there and watched them until the next morning when the water receded and all the cows were alive.
The next day, when I went out to the garden, I saw the gas stove also stuck in the bamboo bushes. So I picked it up, cleaned it, connected the wires, and turned it on for a while, and saw flames shoot up. With a stove and fire, I don't have to worry about hunger or cold. My wife and I have had food since our last meal," said Mr. Tam.
People from Hanoi went to the flood epicenter of Hoa Thinh (Dak Lak) to light a fire to cook, not only to help people have enough to eat but also to create motivation to overcome natural disasters - Photo: T.MAI
"I want to cook meals for my husband and children!"
At a makeshift fire set up near a gas station in Phu Huu village, Hoa Thinh commune, Dak Lak (formerly Tay Hoa district, Phu Yen), thousands of meals were cooked and sent to people.
The smell of hot rice wafting through the flood-hit areas while the reconstruction work was underway created an indescribable feeling. Each meal sent out sowed the belief that yesterday’s devastation would recede to give way to a better tomorrow.
Ms. Mai Thi Thu (56 years old, Canh Tinh village, Hoa Thinh commune) said that the floodwaters inundated her house very deeply, many belongings were swept away, and all the rice was damaged. Over the past few days, each box of rice and loaf of bread has helped people in the flooded area feel full and focus on cleaning their houses.
And from yesterday until now, the makeshift kitchen has been on fire, the smell of cooking food has spread throughout the village, reminding many people of the peaceful days. The bright beliefs that have gone from weak have become strong.
"I will continue cleaning the house. Tomorrow after taking my children to school, I will stop by to buy a stove to cook. I want to cook for my husband and children like before," said Mrs. Thu.
There are simple things that create positive energy, like this makeshift kitchen that "anchored" many emotions that seemed to be crushed by the flood. Many women in Hoa Thinh came to ask for vegetables to cook porridge for their children and the cooks selected the freshest vegetable sprouts.
The field kitchen was set up by the group "One Heart Fire Kitchen", the group "Porridge Spreading Love", the Dong Anh Kindness Club and the Ngo Duc Tuan Love Motivation Group from far away Hanoi.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong, head of the group "Porridge spreading love", was busy peeling cabbage while saying that a red-hot kitchen always creates warmth. So every time there is a big flood, we will come to cook. Previously, the field kitchen was present in Thai Nguyen, Quang Tri, Hue...
"During this flood, we were just present in the flooded area of Binh Dinh (now Gia Lai province). When the people were stable, we continued to Hoa Thinh. For us, the kitchen is not just for cooking, but more importantly, to motivate people in the flooded area," said Ms. Phuong.
Faith and hope
The villages are still in ruins, but the mess is gradually tidying up after two days of flood receding. The reconstruction is taking place quietly in each house and loudly on the village roads, schools, and medical stations...
No one told anyone, no one waited for help, people stood up on their own with faith and hope.
Ms. Thuy (Hoa Thinh commune) lined up to receive relief gifts and said: "The flood has happened and the damage is huge. Now we have to stand up, otherwise we will fail the hearts of people from all over the country who are pouring into Phu Yen."
Meals from rice grains of love
After noon, Thach Tuan 2 village, Hoa Xuan commune, Dak Lak province (formerly Phu Yen province), which was in the flood center a few days ago, began to have sunshine.
In the still damp kitchen, Mrs. Mai Thi Thu said: "The flood came as fast as a waterfall. I am 81 years old and have never seen a flood like this, worse than the flood in 1993 (PV). I was so scared that I could only run quickly to my son's house nearby to avoid it."
All day on November 24, all the intersections of Thach Tuan 2 village and Ban Thach village of Hoa Xuan commune were often "traffic jams" because of many volunteer groups entering. Rice and fresh water also began to seep into each kitchen that had just been cleaned up after the flood.
Family reunion meals have gradually returned in areas hit by the floods.
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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhung-bep-lua-hong-nau-com-tinh-nghia-o-hoa-thinh-20251124222415937.htm
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