The delegation of Nha Trang Communist Youth Union, Khanh Hoa border guards' youth board and the NTK charity group from Ho Chi Minh City has just taken a volunteer trip to Bich Dam Island...
The delegation of Nha Trang Communist Youth Union, Khanh Hoa border guards’ youth board and the NTK charity group from Ho Chi Minh City has just taken a volunteer trip to Bich Dam Island, Vinh Nguyen Ward, Nha Trang City. The activity was helpful, bringing a little happiness into the local residents’ lives.
Bich Dam Island is 7 sea miles from Nha Trang City. It takes over 1 hour from Cau Da Port to the island by boat. The distance is not much but the living conditions of residents in Nha Trang City and Bich Dam Island are quite different.
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| Medical examination for the poor. |
The living standard of residents on the island has much improved but many are still in financial problems. They mostly live on inshore fishing. They have just had access to electricity but only 4 hours a day. Electivity is used mainly for lighting and televisions, not enough for production.
Lacking access to clean water, 297 households use hand dug-wells. There is no high school on the island. Therefore, high school kids have to travel to the mainland and there are many dropouts as a result, according to Nguyen Hoa, Chief of Bich Dam residential group.
The delegation was welcomed by local residents when they reached the island. Gifts were candies and school things for children. Nguyen Huy Truong, a third-grader, happily says, “I have been offered a new school bag, a red scarf, 5 notebooks and candies. I am so delighted. I will try to study well.”
100 gifts worth VND200,000 each for children, 50 gifts worth VND300,000 each for poor families, a television and sports instruments were offered. Besides, free medical examination and hair-cut were given for 300 people.
Teacher Nguyen Thi Cuc adds, “I have just been given a medical check-up. I am happy to see that I am fine and everything is o.k.”
Nguyen Dinh Loan Phuong, Head of the Ho Chi Minh-based NTK Charity Group says, “I am willing to share problems with the locals. I will continue to seek for donations from individuals and companies to raise more fund for the needy.”
“The concern and assistance from the charity trip have helped to inspire us to greater effort to overcome difficulties,” says Lieutenant-colonel Tran Huu Tha, Chief of Bich Dam Island Border Station.
N.T
