Huynh Huu Du, aka Ut, and his wife Le Thi Ut Nho, who sell gasoline to ships and boats on an islet in Vinh Long Province, have long been renowned for their charity work.
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| Ut and the notice in the front his house offering to lend money in case of “unexpected sickness” | |
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| Mr and Mrs Ut check the list of people who have borrowed money |
When we went looking for them in Tan Thanh, Long Ho District, and asked for directions to their house, everyone responded uniformly: “Mr. Ut ‘Charity,’ right? Look for a board in front of his house saying ‘Here we lend money in case of unexpected sickness.’”
When we met the couple who are in their mid-50’s, they told us about an incident that occurred three years ago. One day just before the Lunar New Year in 2008, they were woken up by urgent knocking on the door late at night. When Ut opened the door, a pale-faced young man was standing before him, a man he soon realized was their neighbor Nguyen Nhat Ho.
With the midnight visitor still lost for words, Ut asked: “How is your mother’s condition? If she’s getting worse, I’ll lend you some money to take her to the hospital right away.”
Ho was taken totally by surprise but Ut simply smiled and asked how much he needed. Ut went inside and returned with VND3 million (US$150), which he slid into Ho’s hands without asking for an IOU or even when he would return the money. Ho took his mother to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment, and to this day remains deeply grateful for Ut’s kindness. Such incidents of unexpected peril gave Ut the idea of putting up the money-lending notice.
Charity doesn’t have to wait
Ut married 20 years ago and he and his wife wandered here and there to sell fish and fish sauce. Life was so difficult that there were times when they had to “eat only rice and soy sauce for months.”
Strangely enough, the couple decided to do charity at that time when they were able to earn barely enough to live by, not after they became wealthy.
A long time ago, when gold cost only VND350,000 (USD17.5 at current rates) per tael, the couple had decided to set aside VND4 million to lend to the poor and sick.
Now the amount has gone up to 10 million, but when there is an unexpected need for more, they are willing to give away all of their personal savings.
Ut now makes a living by selling gasoline along the river and so often visits other wards. He takes the chance to learn about the plight of poor families in these places. Thus, sometimes strangers visit him even at midnight to borrow money.
According to locals, Ut helps each person differently, depending on their situation. He gives away a few hundred thousand dong to some, medicine to others. For those who need to go to the hospital, he lends a few million dong. Some pay him back while countless others have not. There have also been many seriously sick to whom he lent up to 20 million dong.
Helping the poor
Three years ago Phung, a pork seller, was startled when Ut came to see her at the market and asked about her grave situation. She had heard much about Ut’s benevolence and realized a miracle was about to happen in her life.
Eight years earlier Phung and her husband had opened a pork shop in the market. But their business was not good and when Ut came to see her, Phung’s debt had piled up to VND7 million. She was paying a few hundred thousand dong a month as interest.
Ut lent her VND7 million without interest to pay off the debt and another VND1 million to establish a small cookie stall at an elementary school. With her loans cleared and a new cookie stall which gave her a stable income, Phung could finally take care of her sick husband and two small children.
Phung is just one of the many people who have received help from Ut to make a living. In the last two years Vo Van Sau, head of Tan Hoa village, has brought many locals to Ut to borrow money to start a business and overcome their poverty. He only brought people that Ut did not know while Ut himself had helped scores more, he said.
This year for Tet the couple spent VND8 million to buy rice for 50 poor local families to ensure they had a happy holiday. The couple’s good deeds have touched the hearts of locals who fete them as does the local as well as provincial people’s committees.
Last month the government honored Ut for his charity and social work.
