Fish - water relationship

Vinh Hoi Dong is a border commune of An Phu district. Although people's lives have improved, there are still many difficulties. To share those difficulties and increase the bond between the people and "Uncle Ho's soldiers", many practical activities have been carried out.

The relationship between the people and the army is warm and close.

All her life, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Sam (72 years old, living in Vinh Hoi hamlet) worked hard in the fields, taking care of her 7 children. The children grew up, got married, and built their own lives. It was thought that the burden would be lifted from the shoulders of this hard-working woman, and she would be able to retire in peace. But poverty continued to haunt her and her husband. One child broke up with her and went to work far away, leaving her 2 granddaughters to be taken care of. The daily food supply could be exchanged, but old age illness knocked her down, she could not sit up.

“When I was still healthy, this season, I took advantage of the time to go glean rice, sometimes getting a bushel. Meals, household chores, and other household chores were all taken care of by me. Unexpectedly, for many months now, I have had complications from diabetes, I can no longer walk, and have to lie in bed, enduring one pain after another. No matter how much my children love me, they can only save a few hundred thousand to send home each month, because they are busy with their own lives. Collecting all the money is only enough to buy medicine for me to take to get through the day,” Mrs. Sam shared with difficulty.

The biggest peace of mind for this "poor with a certificate" couple now is the 7-month-old cows, which promise to become their main source of income. The joy also lies in the fact that their granddaughter Le Thi Ngoc Tham (grade 9, Vinh Hoi Dong Secondary School) is supported by officers and soldiers of Vinh Hoi Dong Border Guard Station under the "Helping Children Go to School" Program. The budget of 500,000 VND/month (contributed by station officers from their salaries) is not much, but it is a stable amount of money for Tham to cover her studies. The remaining money after buying school supplies, Tham "put in the piggy bank", nurturing her dream of pursuing a career in medicine and pharmacy. "My sister - Le Thi Minh Nguyet once received this support, thanks to which she completed high school and studied at a medical college. I also want to follow in her footsteps, study to become successful, to take care of my grandparents and contribute to society" - Tham shared.

Opposite the Vinh Hoi Dong Border Guard Station is the small house of Mrs. Tran Thi Tuyet (67 years old). Perhaps, the "close neighbor" relationship has helped 3 (out of 4) of her daughters to become friends with the border guards. "I have lived here for more than 50 years, and have been attached to the station for more than 30 years. My family has received so much help from the officers that it is hard to count them all. They lent us some vacant land to grow corn and make fish sauce to earn income. When someone in the family was sick, the station's military doctor came over to check on us. When my husband had a stroke after laying the bait in the field, the military doctor wholeheartedly gave first aid and encouraged me to overcome the loss. On holidays and Tet, when there were any gifts, they remembered and brought them to my family. Therefore, "when we eat from a tree, we guard it", when we saw any problems in the neighborhood or at the border, we took the opportunity to inform them..." - Mrs. Tuyet said.

Financial support for Tham

Major Vo Van Toan, Political Commissar of Vinh Hoi Dong Border Guard Station, has just completed a long-term specialized training course after being assigned to a new unit. Taking advantage of his free time, Toan and the station's Command Board visited and learned about the lives of some households in the area under his responsibility. During these trips, he learned that, in addition to paying attention to Le Thi Ngoc Tham's education, it was necessary to find ways to help Nguyen Thi Sam overcome her illness and pay attention to her and her husband's makeshift, unstable house. He also listened to Mrs. Tuyet's thoughts about her nephew Lam Thanh Khang, who is in 2nd grade. "He is eligible to receive the "Helping you go to school" support, so the unit will consider adding him to the list in the near future. At the same time, we discussed Mrs. Sam's difficult case with the locality, looking for appropriate ways to help. Only when their family life is stable, will people have the conditions to contribute to local development, maintain national border security, and become the eyes and ears of the border force" - Major Vo Van Toan emphasized.

In addition to the models of "Adopted children of border guards", "Helping children go to school", the border guards in general, and Vinh Hoi Dong Border Guard Station in particular, also take care of the lives of people in border areas by sharing "Charity rice jars", mobilizing livelihoods, necessities... regularly. Major Vo Van Toan himself has just received a certificate of merit from the Director of the General Department of Politics for implementing the emulation "Skilled mass mobilization" in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2019 - 2024. Toan modestly said: "I alone cannot create this achievement, it is a common achievement, a common contribution of the whole unit, creating a "Skilled mass mobilization" movement, together towards the people, towards the grassroots, creating strong trust for people to coordinate and help the border guards manage and protect the border".

The recognition from superiors and the closeness of the people in the border area will be a great motivation for each border guard officer to continue promoting the sentiment of "the army and the people are like fish and water"; to think more, to act more to create a strong and lasting solidarity in the Fatherland's border.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/nghia-tinh-ca-nuoc--a417559.html