Sharing makes Tet even warmer.

Tet is fast approaching, but many people are facing difficult circumstances and the burden of making a living remains heavy. Understanding this, the charitable convoys of the Lao Cai Provincial Red Cross have quietly traversed mountains and forests, bringing the warmth of sharing to vulnerable individuals.

On Friday afternoon, while officials and civil servants temporarily set aside their daily administrative work to return to their families for the two-day weekend, the officials and leaders of the Lao Cai Provincial Red Cross Society were busy preparing to set off again to continue their journey of spreading love.

People in Nam Co commune line up to receive Tet gifts.

At 3:30 PM, the vehicle departed from the provincial Red Cross headquarters in Yen Bai ward, with its first destination being Nam Co commune – one of the remote and disadvantaged communes in the province, where over 90% of the population are ethnic minorities.

Amidst the thick night mist and precarious bends along the deep ravines, the story of the impoverished lives of the people in the highlands was repeatedly mentioned by Comrade Ha Thi Ngoan, President of the Lao Cai Provincial Red Cross Society, as a reminder and encouragement to strengthen the resolve of the entire delegation. Interwoven within that story were also the many concerns and anxieties of the head of the Provincial Red Cross Society.

The Chairman of the Provincial Red Cross Society confided: "For the staff of the Provincial Red Cross Society, this route is very familiar and easy to travel. Many trips to remote villages require us to transfer people by motorbike and then walk for kilometers. With each trip, each encounter, seeing the hardships faced by the people motivates the Red Cross staff to work even harder to mobilize and connect with more social resources to help them. Seeing the people happy, all the fatigue and difficulties disappear."

The people of Nam Co commune received Tet gifts with great joy.

The vehicle arrived at the center of Nam Co commune late at night, yet the next morning, while the mountains and forests were still shrouded in mist, the diligent officials were already up preparing gifts for the distribution. As if in gratitude for their precious kindness, from the remote villages and hamlets, the elderly, children, and poor households with difficult circumstances all traveled along the winding mountain road to be present at the gift distribution site very early.

On sun-tanned faces, weathered by the hardships of earning a living, joy was evident as they received the community's care and attention in the days leading up to Tet (Lunar New Year). Each gift was the culmination of thousands of kind hearts, the collective efforts of organizations, businesses, and philanthropists both within and outside the province. For the people in the highlands, these were not simply gifts of material value, but also a great source of encouragement to enter the new year with renewed faith and hope.

Overwhelmed with joy, Mrs. Mua Thi Sua from Tu San village, Nam Co commune, emotionally shared: “My family is poor and has many children and grandchildren, so we didn't have enough money to buy things for Tet. I'm so happy that the Provincial Red Cross Society came all the way here to give us gifts. With rice, cakes, and warm blankets, my family can celebrate Tet. The Mong people are grateful to the Party, the State, the benefactors, and the officials who traveled so far to be with us.”

Mrs. Sua's simple words also reflect the heartfelt sentiments of hundreds of households in the Nậm Có highlands, people who are welcoming spring with genuine sharing.

Warm blankets were handed directly to the people in the mountainous regions.

Immediately after completing the gift distribution in Nam Co, the provincial Red Cross delegation traveled hundreds of kilometers to many highland communes, donating thousands of Tet gifts to poor households, elderly people living alone, children, and those in particularly difficult circumstances.

At the end of the journey (Sunday afternoon), the group arrived at Son Luong commune. Here, the gift-giving program was organized like a spring festival with many activities, such as: a "Zero-Cost Humanitarian Market" with stalls selling free clothes; a rice cake wrapping competition; and folk games rich in traditional culture, making the atmosphere even more vibrant and warm.

Residents of Son Luong commune receive clothes at the "Zero-Cost Humanitarian Market".

Residents of Son Luong commune participated in a rice cake wrapping competition at the event.

Amidst this joy, many people could not hide their emotions as they celebrated Tet for the first time in an atmosphere of completeness, sharing, and togetherness.

Mr. Vang A Chu from Sung Do village, Son Luong commune, said: “Although I am over 70 years old, this is the first time I have participated in such a joyful and meaningful Tet program. I am very moved and grateful to the Party, the State, the Red Cross at all levels, and all the kind-hearted people who have shown concern for our ethnic minority people.”

Through our research, we learned that, thanks to social mobilization efforts, the Lao Cai Provincial Red Cross Society organized numerous delegations and distributed nearly 9,000 Tet gifts worth over 5.1 billion VND to the poor, those in difficult circumstances, and vulnerable groups in remote areas of the province.

Giving Tet gifts in Pha Long commune.

The spirit of sharing and human kindness is conveyed in every charitable trip, so that, amidst the mountains and forests of Lao Cai as spring arrives, each home becomes more vibrant, each smile brighter, and a more fulfilling and warm Tet holiday spreads throughout the villages.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/se-chia-de-tet-them-am-ap-post892495.html