A place to connect people from the mining area far from home

Homeland is the place deep in their souls that they always turn to . Originating from the desire to connect people from the mining area far from home , the Quang Ninh Association in Ho Chi Minh City was born and has been operating for 32 years, becoming a "roof" to protect, share, and gather love from the children of Quang Ninh to send to their "homeland".

The Southern Quang Ninh Women's Association met to celebrate the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Women's Union.

In the early 90s of the 20th century, at that time in the city named after Uncle Ho, many Quang Ninh people with their hearts turned to their homeland, wanted to gather together to form an organization, and established a number of fellow countrymen associations in the districts of the province such as: Dong Trieu, Hon Gai, Yen Hung, Hai Ninh... In 1993, Major General Vu Van Thuoc, former Commander of the 4th Corps, a son of the Mining Region, with understanding the feelings of people far from home, chaired the establishment of the Quang Ninh Provincial Fellow Countrymen Association in Ho Chi Minh City and was the first president of the Association.

In the early days, the Association was a gathering and sharing place for nearly 500 Quang Ninh families living, working and studying in Ho Chi Minh City. Over the years, the Association has gradually gathered more Quang Ninh people living far from their homeland, along with friends, relatives and those who love Quang Ninh. The Association's activities demonstrate pride in their homeland, solidarity, mutual support and assistance in life and a turn towards their homeland through many practical activities.

Mr. Hoang Trong Nghia, a son of the Fourth War Zone Dong Trieu (Quang Ninh), is currently a police lieutenant colonel working at the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department. Although he has followed his family to the Southern land for more than 40 years, he still cannot forget his homeland. Since 2022, Mr. Nghia has become the Chairman of the Quang Ninh Provincial Council in the city named after Uncle Ho.

Meeting to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the Quang Ninh Youth Association in Ho Chi Minh City.

Mentioning the activities of the Association to us, Mr. Nghia told us with endless enthusiasm: After 32 years of operation, the Association has gathered more than 4,000 households of Quang Ninh people living, working and studying in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. Currently, the Association has 9 member associations: Dong Trieu, Uong Bi, Ha Long - Hoanh Bo, Quang Yen, Van Don, Hai Ninh fellow countrymen's associations, Quang Ninh fellow countrymen's clubs, Quang Ninh Youth Association in Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh Women's Association in the Southern region.

The Executive Committee of the Association has 29 members, 1 president, 3 vice presidents and 1 general secretary. Although each person has their own job and life, they all turn to their homeland with the desire to connect Quang Ninh people far from home.

The meetings of the Association are truly meaningful moments.

...helping the people of Quang Ninh ease their homesickness and become more united, sharing, and looking towards their homeland.

The Association's activities are very regular with the regulation of meeting delegates of districts, towns and cities twice a year; sending representatives to attend the annual meeting of the affiliated branches once a year. The Association's meetings are truly meaningful moments with many stories about the homeland told in a warm atmosphere and full of emotions. Those can be memories of a difficult time but full of affection, deep village affection. The laughter, the friendly handshakes are things that any Quang Ninh child far from home cherishes. There are people who have passed the "rare" age, their memory and health have declined, they walk slowly, but when they meet their fellow countrymen, hear unforgettable stories in their homeland, their eyes still sparkle with joy. The meetings have connected, nurtured the feelings and solidarity of the children far from home. From there, remind them to preserve and promote the good traditional values of their homeland, the Mining Region, and to care for and share more.

The Association regularly visits the elderly during Tet; shares the grief of fellow countrymen when they pass away, visits and supports fellow countrymen who are seriously ill or terminally ill... Especially, during the period when Ho Chi Minh City suffered heavy losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Association has been really close and supported fellow countrymen to overcome the epidemic. "A piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full", many families of fellow countrymen from Quang Ninh who received help when in difficulty could not help but be moved, making efforts to overcome difficulties when having the support, support and timely encouragement of people from the same "place of birth".

Representatives of the Quang Yen Association in Ho Chi Minh City support Quang Yen compatriots facing difficulties during the Covid-19 pandemic, August 2021.

Mr. Tran Van Duc, former Chairman of the Quang Ninh Province Association, shared: The children of the Mining Region always turn to their homeland with sincerity and practical actions. Over the years, the Association has regularly represented the people of Quang Ninh to attend important events of the province, connecting investors who are children of Quang Ninh in the South to invest in their homeland. Not only helping members of the Association, whenever Quang Ninh homeland encounters natural disasters or epidemics, the Association quickly connects information with the province to promptly support the people of Quang Ninh, sending gifts of condolences and encouragement.

Many activities of the Association have left their mark such as: Supporting 2 billion VND for the province to overcome the historic flood in 2015; supporting the group of 70 doctors and nurses from Quang Ninh to participate in the fight against the epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City with protective clothing, other necessary items, total value of 65 million VND; sharing and supporting a lot of food.

Quang Ninh doctors and nurses on duty to prevent and control the epidemic in Ho Chi Minh City in 2021 with gifts given by fellow Quang Ninh residents.

The Association and its member branches regularly sponsor scholarships for poor students, contribute to the construction of charity houses, cultural and spiritual works in Quang Ninh province, such as: Cua Ong Temple, Tran Dynasty Relic Site in Dong Trieu, Dong Moc Village Cultural House...; at the same time, actively promote and introduce the image of the homeland, invite tourists to visit and exchange with the homeland. In 2018, the Association chartered the first flight (round trip) on the occasion of the opening of Van Don Airport to bring over 270 people from Quang Ninh to visit their homeland. The Association joined the province to welcome a delegation of teachers from Ho Chi Minh City and a delegation of former students from the South to visit Dong Trieu...

Many practical and meaningful activities of the Quang Ninh Association in Ho Chi Minh City have really helped the children of the Mining Region to ease their homesickness, become more attached, share love; at the same time, help each person express their feelings and hearts towards their homeland; thereby nurturing love and pride, voluntarily contributing their intelligence and efforts to build their homeland. "Quang Ninh - the indomitable Mining Region is always in the hearts of those who are far from home, including me. I believe that in the coming years, our province will continue to have strong development steps, making an important contribution to the era of national development" - Mr. Hoang Trong Nghia affirmed in the story with us with eyes full of confidence and hope.

Khanh Dan

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/noi-ket-noi-cua-nhung-nguoi-vung-mo-xa-que-huong-3350835.html