Nguyễn Văn Thạo sterilises a motorbike outsideKỳ Hà Commune. — Photo dantri.com.vn

Enthusiastic invalid

Nguyễn Văn Thạo, 73, had his left leg amputated during the war in 1967 in Phong Điền District, the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế.

Returning from military service to his hometown in Nam Hà Village, Kỳ Hà Commune, Kỳ Anh Town in the central province of Hà Tĩnh, he has had difficultly getting around on his artificial leg.

In addition, he is old and his health is waning.

Despite these problems, he is still determined to help out with COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

Over the past few days, he has been working at supervision stations to control vehicles and people coming in and out of the commune.

In his delicate tone, the old man informs people about the Government’s preventive measures to people passing through the station.

He also sterilises people and their vehicles, and reminds them to wear face masks.

An that's not the end of it. He also wades through shallow waters to catch fish to give workers at quarantine centre in the commune. 

Chairman of Kỳ Hà Commune's People’s Committee Lê Văn Luyện told Dân Trí e-newspaper that Thạo showed up whenever help was needed.

“All the people love and respect him,” he said.

Local woman Lê Thị Hòa said people felt more confident about fighting COVID-19 thanks to the help and advice offered by Thạo.

“I carried a gun during the resistance war, and now in peacetime, I'm ready whenever the nation needs me.”

“Frontline workers in the combat against COVID-19 work so hard, so veterans like us must are trying to contribute to the community,” he said.

Kind old people

Nguyễn Thị Lương gives lucky money to a representative from Kỳ Bắc Commune. — Photo dantri.com.vn

Nguyễn Thị Lương, 103, lives in Kỳ Bắc Commune, Kỳ Anh District in the central province of Hà Tĩnh, and is the oldest person in the commune.

She is blind in one eye and unsteady on her feet.

When she heard about COVID-19 from her family and the loudspeakers in the commune, she decided to contribute all of her 'lucky money' from the recent Tết (Lunar New Year) festival to the commune’s fund for COVID-19 prevention and control.

It was only about VNĐ1 million (US$43), but it was a pure act of kindness.

 Nguyễn Quốc Hoan, Party Committee secretary of Kỳ Bắc Commune, said he was moved by Lương’s donation.

“Thanks to her generosity, other locals have started to contribute to COVID-19 prevention and control work. We hope that she will live a long and healthy life,” he said.

Nguyễn Thị Tửu, 101, from Nam Hà Ward, Hà Tĩnh City, also used her savings to buy two tonnes of rice to donate to the Hà Tĩnh Province Military Command. The rice will be used for soldiers working in quarantine centres.

Tửu said: “I love soldiers, police and medical workers because they are working so hard to control the pandemic. I wanted to donate something as well. I won't be around for much longer, so I want the rest of my days to be meaningful.” — VNS

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