With
the motto of “The good leaves protect the worn-out leaves”, the Party
Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee of Lac An commune in Tan
Uyen district have conducted sectors and mass organizations to actively take
care of the poor via many significant programs, including building unity
houses, providing free medical check-ups and medicine.... Many organizations
have become as bridges between donors and those with difficulties. 
Lac An commune’s Red Cross Society in conjunction with Tan Uyen district’s General Hospital providing free medical check-ups for the poor
Thanks to close coordination between organizations and individuals, An Lac commune’s social charity activities have opportunely been implemented, bringing joy to the poor. The Volunteers’ Club under the commune’s Red Cross Society has also contributed to realizing the moral principles of “The good leaves protect the worn-out leaves”, “One piece of food while hungry equals to a big basket of food when full”.
With 15 members, the club has been developed for 7 years. Nguyen Van Tan, Head of the club said that since being established, the club has become an address for donors and organizations to realize social activities. The club has also directly mobilized organizations and individuals in and out of the commune to join hands in taking care of the poor.
Along with mass organizations, Thien Hieu pagoda, Minh Dung Company, Van Truong An Fertilizer Production Company and churches in the commune…have actively got involved in social charity activities for the poor. Since early this year, the commune’s Red Cross Society has teamed up with relevant agencies to provide free medical check-ups and medicine to people with difficulties; provided free eye surgery for needy cases…with a total expense for public healthcare estimated at more than VND108mln.
The local Volunteers’ Club has also donated 3,120 kg of rice as monthly aid to 321 people; mobilized donors to present 110 gifts worth VND26.5mln to needy people. Meanwhile, Minh Dung Company has offered 100 gifts worth VND20mln for the poor, disable children and lonely elderly people. Thien Hieu pagoda has mobilized 300 gifts worth VND 90mln for disadvantaged people…The commune’s Women’s Union has mobilized 88 well-off women to offer help of more than VND187mln for 97 needy ones.
The above efforts have helped Lac An commune reach 12 out of 19 criteria of the new rural construction program. Among them, the commune has fulfilled the province’s criterion on poverty reduction. The whole commune only had 15 poor households in early 2013. The local authorities now make a check about the number of poor households for concrete support programs.
Possibly speaking, gifts or help for economic development from organizations and individuals are a great spiritual encouragement for people with difficulties. According to Do Van Nhai, Chairman of Lac An commune’s Red Cross Society, the society will further maintain its effective models, make efforts to give timely support for disadvantaged people, pay more attention to taking care of their health…
For the local poverty reduction and hunger eradiation getting high results, Ha Dang Chiem, Vice-Chairman of Lac An commune’s People’s Committee said: “The commune will further instruct sectors and mass organizations to take good care of poor households while calling for donors to offer more help to the poor so that they are able to rise up out of poverty”.
Reported by Thien Ly-Translated by K.T
