Connecting the Source of Compassion

President Ho Chi Minh once said, "Our nation is a nation rich in compassion," and he himself was the shining symbol, the greatest embodiment of Vietnamese compassion. Before his passing, in his will, he wrote: "Finally, I leave my boundless love to the entire people, the entire Party, the entire army, and to the young people and children." More than half a century after his passing, that spirit of compassion continues to be studied and emulated by the entire Party and the entire nation.

Báo Tuyên Quang•04/06/2026

"Uncle, your heart is so vast!"

A spring rain misted the small streets on the eve of the Lunar New Year's Eve in 1962, as Hanoi was filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year's Eve celebrations. President Ho Chi Minh's car quietly left the Presidential Palace. He didn't choose to visit brightly lit places, but instead went to visit poor working-class neighborhoods still struggling to make ends meet. At the end of a small alley on Ly Thai To Street, the dilapidated house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chin was shrouded in darkness. The widowed woman still had to carry water for hire on New Year's Eve to earn a few pennies to buy rice for her four young children. Seeing President Ho Chi Minh arrive, the carrying poles on her shoulders fell to the ground, and she burst into tears: "Uncle Ho! Why did you come to my house?" President Ho Chi Minh approached, his voice choked with emotion: "If I don't visit people like you and your children, who else should I visit?" He inquired thoroughly about the lives of Mrs. Chin and her children. Before leaving, he instructed city officials to pay more attention to poor working-class families, ensuring that no one in the capital city went hungry.

Comrade Mai Duc Thong, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of Tuyen Quang Newspaper and Radio and Television, Chairman of the Provincial Journalists Association, and leaders of the Party Committee and People's Committee of Mau Due commune presented financial assistance to the family of Ms. Chang Thi Lau, Phieng De village.

For many years, that New Year's Eve story has always moved us, because it was not simply a visit by a President, but a profound expression of Uncle Ho's compassion for the underprivileged. His benevolence stemmed from his philosophy of "worrying about the people before one's own happiness," and he showed compassion for all people, for all lives. On the arduous and challenging path of national salvation, his patriotism, love for the people, and dedication to the nation and its people were always constant and consistent in his thoughts and actions. Immediately after the success of the August Revolution, at the first meeting of the National Construction Planning Research Committee, he clearly stated the goals of the State: "First, to ensure the people have food. Second, to ensure the people have clothing. Third, to ensure the people have shelter. Fourth, to ensure the people have access to education." Ho Chi Minh 's compassion was never about grand gestures or bombastic words. It was the anguish of hearing news of starving compatriots, the act of giving one's own food to children, the habit of saving every sheet of paper because "the people are still poor." Speaking of Uncle Ho's boundless compassion, the poet Tố Hữu wrote: "Uncle Ho, your heart is so vast / Embracing the entire country and all human lives."

No one should be left behind.

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Lam Dong province launches the program "Saving money to help the poor".On April 3rd, the Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee held a province-wide online launch ceremony for the "Saving for the Poor" program in 2026. Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Ngoc Hiep attended and delivered a speech.

Many years ago, the family of Mr. Giàng Sào Thò, in Khâu Khà village, Minh Tân commune, was in extremely difficult circumstances, living in a makeshift house that constantly threatened to collapse during the rainy season. Their impoverished life made the dream of a sturdy house almost unattainable for him. Concerned about the hardships faced by the villagers, Minh Tân commune appealed for the cooperation and support of philanthropists from within and outside the province to build a new house for Mr. Thò. After two months of construction, the new house, valued at 77 million VND, was completed with the joint efforts of the local government, benefactors, and the community. On the day of receiving the house, Mr. Thò tearfully shared: “This is the dream of my life. With a new house, I can work with peace of mind and no longer fear the rain and wind.”

Last April, the "Bridge of Compassion" section of the Tuyen Quang Newspaper and Radio and Television published an article about Hoang Ly Minh Khoi, a student who fell into a deep coma due to a serious illness and needed financial support for treatment. Shortly after the article was published, hundreds of kind-hearted people joined hands to support him with over 189 million VND. Among them, teachers, parents, and students from many schools in the province donated tens of millions of VND.

Over the past six years, the "Bridge of Compassion" column has supported over 120 cases, repairing and building nearly 20 houses with a total cost of nearly 10 billion VND. Specifically, from the beginning of 2026 to the present, the column has supported 10 disadvantaged families and built 4 new houses for the poor with a total value of over 1.1 billion VND; becoming a bridge connecting love with the less fortunate, opening doors to life, paving the way for the future, and creating a miraculous revival for the vulnerable.

Implementing the emulation movement "For the poor - Leaving no one behind," by the end of 2025, the entire province had completed the demolition of more than 15,000 temporary and dilapidated houses for poor households, policy beneficiary families, and vulnerable people. In addition to housing support, mass organizations also implemented a series of meaningful activities to care for livelihoods, providing seedlings, loans, and free medical examinations and treatment for the poor. Specifically, the Provincial Women's Union helped more than 600 households escape poverty; the Farmers' Association maintained the effective "Cattle Bank" model with thousands of cattle; the Provincial Labor Federation supported more than 318,000 disadvantaged union members with a total budget of over 108 billion VND; and the Youth Union mobilized resources to carry out thousands of meaningful projects and activities to help the people.

In many localities, after natural disasters, officials, soldiers, and youth union members actively helped people rebuild houses, transport food, and move the elderly and children to safe places.

These quiet acts are "sowing seeds" of hope and giving motivation to countless people amidst life's many difficulties. Learning to be tolerant, as Uncle Ho taught, is not something too far-fetched; it is simply about empathizing, sharing, and opening one's heart to those around us. In the midst of modern life, his invaluable spiritual legacy remains intact, becoming a solid foundation for building a humane society, full of compassion and altruism.