Dantri, in coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dien Bien Province and local authorities, held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 19 for six houses benefiting poor households.
Among the recipients, Ca Thi Ngoc, a girl who lost her father at a young age, received the largest amount of support, with more than VND 270 million (approximately USD 10,400) contributed by Dantri readers and donors to build her house.
Speaking emotionally at the ceremony, Ngoc said: “I never imagined I would receive such a large amount of money to build a house. Our old home was badly damaged and leaked badly whenever it rained. I sincerely thank Dantri readers and the authorities for helping us.”
Another beneficiary, Ho A Vu, a disabled resident, said he was overjoyed that within around two months he and his wife would finally be able to move into a solid new home protected from rain and wind.
At the event, Nguyen Xuan Toan, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Dantri, together with local officials, presented 20 scholarships worth VND 500,000 (approximately USD 19) each to disadvantaged students in Muong Ang Commune.
Speaking at the ceremony, Toan said the programme had been made possible not only through support from readers nationwide but also through close cooperation with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dien Bien Province, the Department of Home Affairs and local authorities in identifying and assisting families in remote and disadvantaged areas.
“Through stories about difficult circumstances published by the newspaper, many readers and benefactors across the country joined hands to contribute more than VND 1.1 billion to begin construction of these six homes today,” Toan said.
“Each house carries not only material value but also compassion, solidarity and a sense of community responsibility toward poor households in mountainous regions.”
He expressed hope that the new homes would provide families with safe shelter while also encouraging them to stabilise their lives, support their children’s education and gradually escape poverty sustainably.
Representing Dien Bien authorities, Lo Thi Minh Phuong, standing Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dien Bien Province, expressed deep gratitude for the humanitarian support from Dantri and readers nationwide.
In response to the government’s campaign to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing, Dantri has set a target of building 200 charity houses nationwide during 2024 and 2025 for poor and near-poor households and families facing hardship.
Since April 2024, the newspaper has begun construction on 261 charity houses, of which 238 have already been completed.
Alongside its housing programme, Dantri has also built 60 classrooms, 32 bridges and rural roads, provided 100 floating shelters for flood prevention, organised 32 free medical consultation programmes for more than 6,000 residents, donated 7,210 health insurance cards to disadvantaged students and launched nearly 6,000 fundraising campaigns supporting families in severe hardship.
