Doan Van Thanh and Nguyen Thi Lan receive donations to build their house on July 27.
Doan Van Thanh and Nguyen Thi Lan, both 70, had long dreamed of having a proper home, but their financial struggles and declining health made it impossible.
Thanh, born blind along with his older brother, came from a poor fishing family with many children. During his youth, he earned a living as a street singer, where he met Lan. They married nearly 40 years ago but had no land or house of their own, and were allowed to live in an old French-era bunker within a church compound. Lan suffers from chronic heart disease, further compounding their hardships.
The couple live in an old French-era bunker within a church compound.
Now, in the twilight of their lives, Thanh and Lan are finally able to build their own house thanks to contributions from Dantri/Dtinews readers, local authorities, and generous donors.
The total financial support at the time of groundbreaking exceeded VND 141 million (approximately USD 5,550), including over VND 111 million (approximately USD 4,370) from Dantri/Dtinews readers and VND 30 million (approximately USD 1,180) from the Thien Tam Fund. Phan Nguyen Industrial Construction Co., Ltd. also pledged to cover the entire construction process.
At the ceremony, the couple expressed deep gratitude. “We are extremely thankful to Dantri and its readers for helping us realise our dream home. With the rainy season approaching, we now feel much more secure,” Thanh said.
On behalf of local authorities, Doan Van Sy, Chairman of the People’s Committee of My Thuong Ward, expressed appreciation to Dantri/Dtinews and supporters nationwide. He pledged to ensure the project proceeds smoothly and called on neighbors to assist the couple during the construction process.
In response to the government's national campaign to eliminate makeshift and dilapidated homes, Dantri/Dtinews has set a goal of building 200 houses for poor and near-poor families between 2024 and 2025.
Since April 2024, Dantri has launched the construction of 187 houses, of which 126 have been completed to date.
On July 15, to mark the 20th anniversary of Dantri/Dtinews, various businesses participated in a ceremony to launch the construction of 20 additional houses, contributing to the overall goal of building 200 homes.
Alongside housing projects, Dantri/Dtinews has also completed 57 classrooms, 31 rural bridges and roads, 50 flood-resistant floating houses, organised 25 free health check programmes for over 6,000 people, distributed 5,054 free health insurance cards to underprivileged students, and launched fundraising campaigns for nearly 6,000 families in exceptional hardship.
