Celebrating Tet in a new house.

Unlike previous Tet holidays, thousands of poor and disadvantaged households in Ca Mau province celebrated the 2026 Lunar New Year with more joy than ever before, as their dream of owning a home had become a reality. For them, this year's Tet was more fulfilling, warmer, and opened up a brighter future.

Báo Cà Mau•31/12/2025

Female soldiers on the front lines of eliminating temporary and dilapidated housing.
Ca Mau completes demolition of temporary housing, commends 83 collectives and individuals.
Young police officers in the province are determined to eliminate temporary housing for struggling former police officers.
Ca Mau joins hands to eliminate temporary housing, proudly receiving the Third-Class Labor Medal.

Life turned a new page with the new roof over my head.

With no land for farming and no stable jobs, in 2008, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phung (53 years old, Hamlet 9C, Phong Hiep Commune) and her husband left their hometown, carrying with them the hope of a better life, to work as laborers in Ho Chi Minh City. However, after many years of struggling to make a living in a foreign land, their lives remained trapped in poverty.

In 2023, Mrs. Phung and her husband, along with their two grandchildren, returned to their hometown. Their old house had collapsed, and the whole family had to rely on her mother's family for shelter. During this most difficult time, the timely support of the local government rekindled hope for the family. Mrs. Phung received support in accessing a preferential loan of 50 million VND to invest in a shrimp and prawn trading business. In early 2025, the joy continued when her family received support to build a "Great Solidarity" house.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phung shared her joy with local officials upon receiving her long-desired, sturdy new home.

With capital, determination, and hard work, the production model has become increasingly effective, not only helping the family improve their income but also creating jobs for more than 10 local laborers through shrimp whisker trimming.

In her spacious new home, Mrs. Phung couldn't hide her emotion as the first full spring arrived. After years of living far from home and then in temporary accommodations in her hometown, this Tet holiday she and her husband were finally reunited with their children and grandchildren in their own home.

“ Having stable housing and support for livelihood models has given my husband and me renewed hope. We will strive to work hard and improve our lives so that future Tet holidays will be even more fulfilling and warm,” Mrs. Phung shared .

For Mr. Le Hung Cuong (41 years old, Giong Giua hamlet, Hiep Thanh ward), this year's Tet holiday is very special because his family is finally living in the sturdy house they've dreamed of for years. Before, their old, dilapidated house was a constant source of worry whenever it rained or was windy, especially since his wife suffers from heart disease, his children are young, and Mr. Cuong often has to work far away from home.

Thanks to the connections made by the Provincial Farmers' Association, Mr. Cuong received 100 million VND in support to build a house. With a stable place to live, he was further supported with an 80 million VND loan from the Social Policy Bank to develop his business .

While chatting with officials from the Farmers' Association of Hiep Thanh ward, the wife of Mr. Le Hung Cuong (on the left) expressed her joy at having a new house.

Utilizing the shrimp pond borrowed from his father and the vacant land behind his house, Mr. Cuong renovated the pond to raise fish and shrimp, plant guava trees, and raise chickens and ducks following the "short-term gains to support long-term growth" approach. He hopes to gradually expand the model, creating a stable income to provide for his wife's medical expenses, his children's education, and a more stable life.

Spring reunion in a warm and loving home.

The house of Mrs. Tran Thi Ut (69 years old, Cai Tram A2 hamlet, Hoa Binh commune), still smelling of fresh paint, becomes more lively in the days leading up to Tet. She meticulously cleans every corner, arranges belongings, and prepares for her first spring in her sturdy home.

Having lived for many years in a dilapidated thatched hut, each rainy season a time of anxiety, Mrs. Ut never imagined she would one day celebrate Tet in such a spacious house. Previously, she worked as a cleaner for a seafood company near her home. As she got older, she retired and stayed home making and selling sandwiches. Her son works as a factory worker, earning just enough to cover daily living expenses.

Understanding their plight, the Women's Union of Hoa Binh commune mobilized Tan Thanh Trading Company Limited (Can Tho City) to support the construction of a "House of Love and Compassion," worth 95 million VND. With the joint efforts of relatives, the house was quickly completed, bringing immense joy to Mrs. Ut and her daughter.

Mrs. Tran Thi Ut is cleaning her new house.

In Duong Ranh hamlet (Khanh Hung commune), Huynh Quoc Nam (40 years old) is cleaning his house, waiting to welcome a meaningful Tet holiday in his newly built home.

Nam lives alone; his mother passed away exactly seven years ago. He earns a living as a fisherman and construction worker. His life is precarious, and he often works far from home, so he doesn't have the means to renovate his house; he has to entrust the task of tending to his mother's ancestral altar to his older brother. The dream of a stable home seemed very far away to him. In November 2025, joy overwhelmed him when he received support to build a house under the Great Solidarity program.

Mr. Nam confided: " When I was informed about the housing support program, I felt like I was dreaming. This Tet holiday, with a new house, I can bring my mother home to worship, and welcome my siblings to reunite in this sturdy home."

Having a stable place to live, Mr. Nam plans to renovate the land behind his house to dig a pond for raising snakehead fish, gradually building up his economy, settling down and doing business at home for the long term, and no longer having to wander around to make a living.

Mr. Huynh Quoc Nam (far left) shares his joy with local officials after receiving both a new house and a water storage tank for household use.

These charitable houses not only provide shelter from the sun and rain but also serve as a solid foundation, allowing the poor to work with peace of mind and strive for a better life. This Tet holiday, in the warmth emanating from these new homes, families who once struggled in dilapidated houses have been given renewed faith and motivation to move forward on a more sustainable journey.

Responding to the nationwide emulation movement "The whole country joins hands to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses," Ca Mau province has completed 9,594 houses (over 7,000 newly built and over 2,500 renovated), helping thousands of disadvantaged households in the province to "settle down and make a living," creating a solid foundation for the goal of sustainable poverty reduction.

Tu Quyen

Source: https://baocamau.vn/don-tet-trong-can-nha-moi-a125102.html