Readers of DTiNews have contributed over VND1.3 billion (USD61,538) to the construction of a bridge in a poor area of the central province of Quang Binh.
The editor-in-chief of DTiNews newspaper, Pham Huy Hoan, handed over the funds to local authorities on February 22 in order to facilitate the building of a bridge in the highlands village of Ong Tu.
Mr.Pham Huy Hoan (third from left) handed over the funds to local authorities.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the provincial People’s Committee, the provincial Department of Information and Communication, the provincial Study Encouragement Association, the provincial Union of Labour, Minh Hoa District People’s Committee, Trong Hoa communal People’s Committee, teachers and students of Hung Primary School as well as many local residents.
Students in Ong Tu compelled to swim across river to school
The donations followed stories published by DTiNews in mid-September 2011 about a situation of local students in the commune who had to swim across a river to get to school.
After receiving readers’ donations, worth over VND1.3 billlion, the DTiNews staff met with the provincial authorities and the two sides agreed to name the bridge and “Khuyen hoc & Dantri” or “Study encouragement and Dantri”.
The project is estimated to cost a total of VND9.8 billion (USD463,905) and consists of a bridge and concrete roads at the both ends so as to link Ong Tu Village with Hung Village. Of the total, DTiNews readers contributed over VND1.3 billion while the rest will be provided by government funding.
“This is the seventh bridge initiated by the donations from DTiNews readers. Six other bridges have been built in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Quang Nam, the central highlands province of Kon Tum, and the southern provinces of Kien Giang, Hau Giang as well as Can Tho City,” Hoan said.
An anonymous official working on the project said around 80% of work on the the bridge has been completed and it is expected to be put in use by June or July.
The construction of the bridge to be finished soon
Ho Thi Giang, a fourth grade student at Hung Primary School said, “We’re happy that the construction of the bridge will finish soon. We won't have to swim across a river to school anymore.”
Students at Hung Primary School eager to use bridge
On the occasion, Pham Huy Hoan, also the director of the Vietnam Study Encouragement Fund, granted 80 scholarships worth VND300,000 (USD14.2) each to students at the primary school. The scholarships were funded by VietCapital Bank and Hoa Tra My Bilingual Kindergartens.
Mr. Pham Huy Hoan grants scholarships to students
Students swim to get to school
