Mai Văn Vo has been seeking funds to replace "cau khi" (foot bridges) with cement bridges (Photo thanhnien.vn)HCM City (VNS/VNA) - When asked howmany bridges had been built as a result of his fund-raising efforts, farmer MaiVan Vo, a former war veteran, had no idea.
Decades ago, the 71-year-old, who lives in GiaLai town in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, began seeking funds toreplace cau khi (foot bridges) with cement bridges.
Although the number of new bridges exceeds 300,Vo said he had never bothered to count.
“I did this for local people because I wantedthem to have better transportation,” he said.
Working hard and never boasting about theircontributions to society appears to be part of the character of many formersoldiers.
Like many farmers living in the Mekong Delta, Vois not well-off but has a generous nature.
Recalling the first cement bridge that wasbuilt, he said: “I’m a member of the Veterans Association of Dong Hai districtin the province. More than 10 years ago, we started the programme of replacingfoot bridges in response to the provincial plan of studying and following HoChi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle.”
Vo said the initial work was difficult as manypeople thought “it was the Government’s responsibility” and few people wantedto donate money.
However, Vo was determined to continue raisingfunds, seeing local schoolchildren and residents struggle every day as theycrossed the foot bridges.
“Dong Hai district has more canals than any areain the province. Some island communes had no roads or even foot bridges at thetime. They had to use small boats as their daily vehicles,” he said.
Pursuing his plan, Vo identified sites to buildbridges and then set up a budget, while also encouraging families to persuadetheir local authorities to contribute money.
With his prestigious position of being a warveteran and party secretary of his commune, he explained to local residents howimportant the bridges were and the benefits they would receive.
He told them that Dong Hai district had manybridges that needed to be replaced and that they could not wait for theGovernment to do all the work.
As a result, he began to see a more positiveresponse.
Poor residents were willing to pitch in between 100,000VND and 200,000 VND, and those with better incomes contributed from 2 million VND(90 USD) to 5 million VND (220 USD). People who could not offer money took partin building the bridges.
The first cement bridge was built in An Trach communein Dong Hai district.
“When the bridge was completed, people were sohappy.” Vo said. “I remember that the bridge was about 60-70m wide and it wasfinished in a month.”
With one bridge project completed, Vo had theconfidence to pursue his goal of replacing all the foot bridges.
Along with calling for contributions fromlocals, Vo met sponsors in HCM City who donated funds for the bridge project.
Today, there are no foot bridges in Dong Hai district.
Thanks to the new bridges, people’s livingstandards have improved, with many shops serving residents who live near thebridges.
The district’s Veterans Association said thatsince 2011, Vo had called for 14 billion VND to build 337 bridges. The cost foreach bridge ranged from 30 million VND (1,300 USD) to 200 million VND (8,000USD).
Vo also called for money to repair eight roadswith a total length of 10,000 metres.
Now older, Vo has decided to leave the job ofmobilising capital for new bridges to a new generation, who, he hopes, willdevote their lives to help farmers have a better life.-VNA
Decades ago, the 71-year-old, who lives in GiaLai town in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, began seeking funds toreplace cau khi (foot bridges) with cement bridges.
Although the number of new bridges exceeds 300,Vo said he had never bothered to count.
“I did this for local people because I wantedthem to have better transportation,” he said.
Working hard and never boasting about theircontributions to society appears to be part of the character of many formersoldiers.
Like many farmers living in the Mekong Delta, Vois not well-off but has a generous nature.
Recalling the first cement bridge that wasbuilt, he said: “I’m a member of the Veterans Association of Dong Hai districtin the province. More than 10 years ago, we started the programme of replacingfoot bridges in response to the provincial plan of studying and following HoChi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle.”
Vo said the initial work was difficult as manypeople thought “it was the Government’s responsibility” and few people wantedto donate money.
However, Vo was determined to continue raisingfunds, seeing local schoolchildren and residents struggle every day as theycrossed the foot bridges.
“Dong Hai district has more canals than any areain the province. Some island communes had no roads or even foot bridges at thetime. They had to use small boats as their daily vehicles,” he said.
Pursuing his plan, Vo identified sites to buildbridges and then set up a budget, while also encouraging families to persuadetheir local authorities to contribute money.
With his prestigious position of being a warveteran and party secretary of his commune, he explained to local residents howimportant the bridges were and the benefits they would receive.
He told them that Dong Hai district had manybridges that needed to be replaced and that they could not wait for theGovernment to do all the work.
As a result, he began to see a more positiveresponse.
Poor residents were willing to pitch in between 100,000VND and 200,000 VND, and those with better incomes contributed from 2 million VND(90 USD) to 5 million VND (220 USD). People who could not offer money took partin building the bridges.
The first cement bridge was built in An Trach communein Dong Hai district.
“When the bridge was completed, people were sohappy.” Vo said. “I remember that the bridge was about 60-70m wide and it wasfinished in a month.”
With one bridge project completed, Vo had theconfidence to pursue his goal of replacing all the foot bridges.
Along with calling for contributions fromlocals, Vo met sponsors in HCM City who donated funds for the bridge project.
Today, there are no foot bridges in Dong Hai district.
Thanks to the new bridges, people’s livingstandards have improved, with many shops serving residents who live near thebridges.
The district’s Veterans Association said thatsince 2011, Vo had called for 14 billion VND to build 337 bridges. The cost foreach bridge ranged from 30 million VND (1,300 USD) to 200 million VND (8,000USD).
Vo also called for money to repair eight roadswith a total length of 10,000 metres.
Now older, Vo has decided to leave the job ofmobilising capital for new bridges to a new generation, who, he hopes, willdevote their lives to help farmers have a better life.-VNA
VNA
