The one who "sows the seeds" of kindness
For 17 years, Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue (Permanent Member of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of Tay Ninh Province, Abbot of An Chau Pagoda) has quietly "walked" on her charitable journey at An Chau Pagoda (An Luc Long Commune). Without fanfare or ostentation, she silently performs acts of kindness, sowing seeds of goodness in her homeland.
Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue, along with local authorities, distributed Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to children in An Luc Long commune and neighboring communes.
In An Luc Long, people are familiar with the image of the nun as agile and full of enthusiasm. Every gift, every meal sent to those in need, every rural bridge, every charity house built carries a simple wish: to join hands in helping those struggling, to bring about a better life in the place where she lives and practices her faith.
For nearly 20 years, Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue has consistently worked alongside local Party committees and authorities in social welfare activities. She persistently mobilizes Buddhist followers and benevolent individuals from near and far to care for poor and near-poor households, those with particularly difficult circumstances, and especially poor but studious students in the commune and surrounding areas.
From 2015 to the present, Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue has mobilized and distributed over 5,000 gifts worth more than 2 billion VND, and built 6 charitable houses for poor households in An Luc Long and Thuan My. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, she organizes gift-giving for children, distributing over 4,000 gifts and providing scholarships to underprivileged students. Furthermore, to create a healthy recreational environment for children during the summer, in 2024, she obtained permission from the local authorities and contacted schools and teachers to organize four summer retreats at An Chau Pagoda, with over 130 students participating.
Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue presents gifts to students (Photo provided by the subject)
The monk recounted: “The retreat lasted one day, during which the children participated in games, learned, and rested appropriately for their age. Throughout that day, they didn't use television or phones; instead, they were guided in practicing gratitude, developing life skills, and cultivating morality.”
This is a beneficial summer activity that not only has educational value but also sows seeds of goodness in the hearts of young children. Alongside programs caring for the lives of the people, Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue also mobilized resources to build two rural traffic bridges with a total cost of 400 million VND. She also called on Buddhist followers of An Chau Pagoda to maintain a 1.2km model road, contributing to improving the landscape and enhancing the criteria for a model new rural area in An Luc Long commune.
Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Minh Tuan commune said: "For many years, Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue has always been a companion to the locality in social welfare work and new rural development. For each program of donating gifts, building bridges or houses for the needy, the Venerable Nun always coordinates closely with the government to ensure that each gift reaches the right people in need."
In addition to her local contributions, the nun also maintains a monthly "meal of compassion" program, sending meals to the Tam Vu Regional Health Center and the Provincial Social Welfare Center. The charitable journey of Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue extends beyond the province's boundaries, supporting many other localities. During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, she mobilized donations of tons of rice, essential goods, vegetables, and hundreds of boxes of face masks for quarantine areas.
Recalling that time, the nun said: “At that time, due to the quarantine, Buddhists couldn't come to the temple to help. Only I and another nun contacted people to ask for or order vegetables, sorted the gifts, and then arranged for their delivery to the quarantine areas. The nuns did all of this with only one aspiration: to strive to live a virtuous and beautiful life.”
Quietly and persistently, the work of Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue contributes to fostering a spirit of unity and sharing within the community. Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the story of a nun in the village of Cho Ong Bai, An Luc Long commune, remains close to the hearts of the people, becoming a shining example of compassion, reminding everyone of the value of kindness and responsibility towards their homeland.
Village heads and projects that are both empathetic and reasonable.
While the charitable journey of Venerable Nun Thich Nu Dieu Hue radiates warmth from the An Chau pagoda, in another rural area of Tay Ninh, there is also a person quietly contributing to the transformation of the countryside. Having been involved in village affairs for nearly 30 years, Mr. Le Anh Dung in Hamlet 2, Vinh Hung Commune, is so familiar with every road and every house in the area that he himself can't remember how many projects he has contributed to.
The roads, which were once narrow, dusty dirt paths in the dry season and muddy in the rainy season, were gradually paved with red gravel and then smooth asphalt. The alleys that were once unnamed have now been upgraded and widened, allowing cars to travel smoothly. Somewhere along each construction project and each new road, people can see Mr. Dung's "footprints."
The newly paved and wide Nguyen Thi Dinh road has delighted the local residents.
“To complete a project, the most important thing is still the consensus of the people. Some households happily agree as soon as they hear the plan, but others require many visits, thorough analysis, and sincere conversations before they understand,” Mr. Dung recounted slowly. He said that when you understand each person's circumstances, know their concerns, and offer suitable solutions, everyone eventually agrees, because no one would want a wider, more beautiful road.
On Nguyen Thi Dinh street, now paved and smooth, Mr. Nguyen Van Ha, a resident living along the route, stood admiring the road in front of his house, unable to hide his joy. “Before, the road was tiny, rough, and full of stones. Since the new road was built, everyone is happy. To achieve this, the village head, Dung, had to be incredibly persistent; it wasn't an easy feat!”
Mr. Ha mentioned a case that once worried the entire hamlet: a family couldn't immediately agree to the project because most of their house was within the road expansion area. Donating land meant they would almost certainly lose their home. Knowing the people's predicament, Mr. Dung approached the local authorities, explained the situation in detail, and requested assistance to help his family find new housing.
“Fortunately, the family was given the opportunity to buy another plot of land at a suitable price. Meanwhile, I took advantage of conversations to try and persuade them further. Finally, they agreed. Now that family is settled on their new land. Although it's not as good as the old place, they are still happy because everything was resolved fairly and reasonably. In my opinion, it's not that the people are unwilling, but rather that their circumstances are so difficult that they are worried. If you understand them, talking to them will be much easier,” Mr. Dung shared.
Head of Hamlet 2, Vinh Hung Commune, Le Anh Dung (on the right) has been involved in hamlet work for nearly 30 years.
Because of his approachable nature and understanding, Mr. Dung has consistently earned the trust of the people and been elected as a representative to the Commune People's Council for many years. In meetings, he often speaks up for those facing difficulties: he addresses issues like low-lying roads needing upgrading, dilapidated houses requiring assistance, and needy families requiring support… he is well-informed about all these issues and makes comprehensive proposals to the local authorities.
For nearly 30 years, from his time as deputy head of the hamlet to his current head, Mr. Le Anh Dung has always chosen to work alongside the people, going door-to-door. For him, every project and every change in the hamlet has one thing in common: when you are sincere with the people, they will join hands with you to make their homeland better.
In the midst of a somewhat hectic pace of life, the quiet yet persistent work of Buddhist nun Dieu Hue and village head Le Anh Dung forms the foundation for fostering unity and contributing to the new face of Tay Ninh, a warm, compassionate, and ever-developing homeland.
Guilin
Source: https://baolongan.vn/nhung-nguoi-lam-dieu-tu-te-a208216.html
Comment (0)