Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thuy - "The golden heart" of needy people

Thuy was born after the country's independence and reunification, but before she was a year old, her father passed away due to severe injuries that he suffered during the war against the US for national liberation. Her mother worked hard to raise 7 children alone. Without the breadwinner, because of large number of members, her family fell into extreme poverty, as not having enough to eat or wear. In that situation, the local government allocated her family an area of land large enough to build a small house. Moreover, every month, they received a 10kg-rice-subsidy. This is not too much, but it was extremely valuable to them at that time as the family lacked both material and spiritual things. However, that difficulty did not make the student Le Thi Thanh Thuy falter. On the contrary, it made her more determined to achieve good results in her studies. While studying at university, Thuy worked as a tutor to earn money to pay for her studies as a way to reduce her mother’s burden. Born into a revolutionary family, and having gone through those difficult years, the humanitarian tradition of “mutual love and support” of the Vietnamese people permeates her thoughts and actions. Luckily, as a result of her endless efforts in study and work, Thuy was appointed as the Director of a bank in the province. Her husband who works in the construction industry always supports his wife. They both sympathize and share with AO victims, disabled people, the orphans, and needy people.

Over the past time, her family has raised 68 disabled children who are AO victims with funds generated from their incomes and contributions from their friends who share mind and sympathy for the victims. What’s more, every month, she presents 300,000 VND or 500,000 VND for 11 blind and lonely elderly people who are members of the Provincial Association for the Blind. In addition, she also helps many other difficult cases inside and outside the province, such as: the family of Mr. Nguyen Thai Ha in Nghia Dan, Nghe An; Mr. Thau who is over 70 years old and blind, living in Ben Tre province; adopt Vo Thanh Tam, an orphan in Ca Mau, born in 1998; support nearly 70 million VND to treat the strange disease of baby Diem, born in 1990, in Ca Mau; support 20 million VND for sister Lan who was electrocuted and burned all over her body in Dong Nai; support 100 million VND for brother Bui Duc Chinh, born in 1976, in Xuyen Moc, to have emergency heart surgery at Cho Ray Hospital and many other cases. On the occasion of 2015 Tet, her family supported 800 warm clothes for people in the highlands of Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Yen Bai, ... with a total worth of 80 million VND. Through the Provincial Association, her family and friends supported the construction of 6 charity houses for the poor with disabilities, each worth 50 million VND with relatively enough household appliances.

Currently, Thuy and her friends are running a charity kitchen, serving free meals for 300 - 500 poor people and disadvantaged students every day. Her family and friends spend about 100 million VND on the charity restaurant every month. She also provides 120 kg of rice and 12 boxes of noodles for 12 poor and disabled families in Ward 8, Vung Tau City every month...

In total, over 10 years of accompanying the Association, Thuy's family and friends have donated nearly 7.5 billion VND for AO/dioxin victims, disabled people, orphans and many other unfortunate people. With those contributions, she was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister; 3 Certificates of Merit by the Central Committee of VAVA; 3 Certificates of Merit by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Disabled people and Orphans; 5 certificates of merit by the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province...

Thuy confided that in the coming time, her family would continue to accompany the Provincial Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin and Social Protection. Besides, she would mobilize her friends and colleagues to share and support the victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, disabled people, orphans and needy people. They hope to build 2 to 3 house of charity each year with a cost of about 50 million VND/house. What they are doing is to repay and show gratitude to those who sacrificed their blood and bones in the wars of national liberation and protection, bringing us a peaceful, prosperous and happy life as today./.

Manh Dung