A long-cherished dream of building strong and safe houses come true
In 2020, the government of Viet Nam carried out the project of constructing new houses in various places in order to improve the residential environment for war veterans and underprivileged households. They requested support from NGOs and other organizations to achieve the goal of building 100 “Houses of Great Unity” by 2022.
At the request of the People’s Aid Co-ordinating Committee(PACCOM), the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation decided to help with improving the residential environment for local citizens in Diem Mac, Dinh Hoa District, Thai Nguyen Province. In rainy season, Diem Mac often gets flooded, but the majority of the citizens were living in thatched-roofed or slate-roofed timber houses. Many of them were at risk of demolition due to constant rain.
On the recommendation of Diem Mac People’s Committee, five households, including two war veteran households, were selected for receiving the support. The cost of constructing five new houses required 730 million dong [32,060 USD], and the WeLoveU donated 250 million dong [10,900 USD]; this meant each household would receive 50 million dong. On December 25, after all the construction was completed, decent houses were set up with bricks and concrete in place of houses old and breaking down, and some other old houses were remodeled to become new.
On April 15, 2021, the completion ceremony was held in the assembly hall of Diem Mac People’s Committee. Twenty-six people were present for the event: Diem Mac People’s Committee Chairperson Phung Van Dang, officials from Dinh Hoa District, Jin Hyeon-ok the Secretary-General of the Intl. WeLoveU Foundation Chapter in Hanoi, Vietnam, four other WeLoveU members, and family members of the households that would receive the donations. Chairperson Phung Van Dang delivered a certificate of appreciation to the WeLoveU on behalf of Huyen Dinh Hoa People’s Committee. Chu Van Ha went on the stage and expressed gratitude as the representative of the households that were to receive the donation, saying, “Our houses were previously at risk of demolition as they were old and had water leaks. The donations not only helped us materialistically but also comforted our heart and mind.”
After the ceremony, the WeLoveU members visited each household, set up WeLoveU signboards, and delivered various gifts: blankets, pots, tea sets, etc. Ma Duy Vu, the son of war veteran Ma Duy Nghia, smiled, saying, “My old parents finally came to live in a new house. It is cool and beautiful. The ceiling, walls, and roofs are all strongly built. I’m very happy that they no longer need to worry about their house.” Jin Hyeon-ok, the Secretary-General of the WeLoveU Chapter in Laos, said, “I’m very happy to be of help to the citizens in Diem Mac. I really hope you will live a joyful and happy life in your newly built houses.”
