I am a "bridge" for grassroots welfare.

With over 15 years of experience as a collection officer for a social insurance development organization, Ms. Vo Thi Thien (Huong Do commune, Ha Tinh province) and her colleagues have become a "bridge" contributing to the development of grassroots social security.

I am Vo Thi Thien (born in 1959, residing in Huong Do commune), and I have been working for over 15 years as a collection officer in the social insurance development organization of Hop Nhat Co., Ltd. (Huong Khe commune).

I used to be the Vice President of the Women's Union of Huong Tra commune (formerly). In 2004, after retiring, I continued to work part-time, in charge of pension payments in the area. In 2011, I completely stopped other work and dedicated myself full-time to being a social insurance collection officer at the local level. Currently, I manage over 300 people out of a total of 6,200 people participating in social insurance in the Huong Khe district (formerly).

My work usually starts at 6 a.m. Before leaving home, I double-check all the paperwork: reviewing the list of individuals whose insurance contributions are due, organizing promotional leaflets, and updating any missing information so that it can be added promptly when I go to the field.

I usually travel by motorbike because it's convenient for navigating various terrains. This motorbike has been with me for almost 20 years, like a familiar "companion."

After completing the preparations, I began going door-to-door to spread the word, encourage people to participate, and directly collect social insurance contributions from those who were already contributing.

Huong Do is a mountainous commune, formed by merging three communes: Huong Tra, Huong Do, and Loc Yen. It is an area frequently and severely affected by natural disasters such as floods, therefore, socio-economic conditions remain challenging.

In many remote areas, I have to travel kilometers, spending hours, crossing streams and steep mountain passes that pose considerable danger. It's manageable during the dry season, but in the rainy season, when the water rises and the roads become slippery, travel becomes even more difficult.

Many sections of the dirt road were muddy and slippery, making travel quite difficult. Nevertheless, to reach families in remote areas, I proactively arranged my time, striving to stay close to the area to promptly gather information and relay it to each household.

Today, I had a discussion about insurance policies with Mr. Duong Van Lam and Ms. Pham Thi Thao Van (residents of Nam Tra village, Huong Do commune). As self-employed workers, after receiving advice, the couple decided to participate in voluntary social insurance, with a contribution of 550,000 VND/month for Ms. Lam and 880,000 VND/month for Mr. Lam.

My working philosophy is to disseminate accurate, complete, and correct legal regulations; and at the same time, to explain clearly and specifically so that people understand correctly, fully, and feel confident participating in social insurance.

Previously, due to varying circumstances, many people still believed that participating in social insurance was not really necessary. However, when collection staff like us patiently talked to them, listened, shared, and thoroughly explained each right and responsibility, many people gradually changed their minds and proactively participated.

Besides collecting due social insurance contributions and promoting participation, I also act as a "bridge" to help people access digital platforms, enabling them to track and update social insurance information promptly on the VNeID application.

On the VNeID app, I guide people on how to conveniently and transparently track their participation, contribution levels, contribution periods, and other related social insurance information.

My work continued like that until the end of the day before I went home. The first thing I did when I got home was open my computer, update the new social insurance participation records, monitor the progress of contributions, and review all the information from the day.

Based on the information from the receipt, I proceeded to create the declaration form on the system, updating it fully, promptly, and ensuring the accuracy of each detail.

After completing the day's data updates, I would have conversations and exchange experiences with the collection staff of the Social Insurance Participant Development Organization of Hop Nhat Co., Ltd. Our team consists of 8 people, including both experienced professionals and newcomers. On average, 2-3 times a week, we would share methods, solve difficulties, and encourage each other to continue working in the area.

For my colleagues, I always enthusiastically guide them on how to approach people, how to converse with them, and how to persuade them in a friendly and easy-to-understand way, so that the propaganda efforts are more effective.

Many young people, when first starting out in the profession, are hesitant and awkward in how to approach people. I personally guide them step-by-step, from how to introduce themselves and chat to how to handle situations, so that they gradually gain confidence and become familiar with the job.

Our job requires not only patience and tact in dealing with people, a thorough understanding of regulations and policies, but also proficiency in technology, as most insurance records are now updated on digital platforms.

In 2025, I successfully encouraged 48 more people to participate in voluntary social insurance; increasing the number of people under my management to over 300, with total revenue estimated at nearly 1.5 billion VND. In the first three months of 2026, my total revenue reached nearly 900 million VND; and I successfully encouraged 18 new people to participate in voluntary social insurance.

Over the years, I have had the honor of receiving commendations and certificates of merit from the Vietnam Social Insurance, the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, and Hop Nhat Co., Ltd. for my achievements in collecting social insurance and health insurance contributions in the area. These recognitions motivate me to continue my work and contribute a small part to the development of social welfare at the grassroots level.

For collection staff like us, the work is a persistent, quiet journey day after day… We understand that we are an important “bridge” contributing to the development of social welfare at the grassroots level. Every step we take to each house, every campaign we participate in, is not only about fulfilling our duty but also about contributing to building a long-term foundation for the people. Therefore, despite the many hardships, we always strive and persevere to spread policies, cultivate trust, and work together to build a sustainable social welfare foundation from the grassroots.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/toi-la-cau-noi-an-sinh-co-so-post307756.html