Father's dream
Under the faint sun of the afternoon near the Binh Ngo Tet 2026, Mr. Thach Da Ra (worker of Lefaso Tra Vinh Industrial Investment and Production Joint Stock Company, Vinh Long province) led his motorbike home after work. The road home in Tra Cu commune is still the same, but the mindset of the father of two children today is completely different from previous Tet seasons.
For 7-8 long years, the 3 fathers and sons lived in a house with rotten leaves over time. He recounted that on rainy days, the torn leaf roof was right in the position of the only bed of the 3 fathers and sons. At night, when the rain poured, he would rush to carry the bed around the house to find a dry place for his son to lie down. And on clear days, the fathers and sons looked at each other and joked: "Lying in the house and seeing all the stars in the sky". The saying sounds fun, but he said, the father's heart aches.
I am an adult and still feel tired, seeing my children suffer the same situation makes me very heartbroken. Some nights when I sleep, I secretly shed tears, not daring to let my children know. The dream of a spacious, solid house is inherently a luxury because an income of 7-8 million VND per month is just enough to cover expenses, not to mention times when my children are sick or parties are short before and after," Mr. Da Ra confided.
That feeling was only truly soothed when the Trade Union organization learned about it, turning the wishes of the 3 fathers and sons into a real home. 2025 became the happiest milestone in Mr. Da Ra's life when the solid house was completed. The first night in the new house, he no longer had to stay awake to watch the rain, and there was no longer the scene of carrying a bed to "run away" from the leaf roof leaks.
This year's Tet is very special, because the 3 fathers and children are celebrating Spring in a new, solid house. With a bonus of more than 5 million VND, I set aside a little to buy cakes and jams, redecorate the house and buy new clothes for the two children. Although not bustling and big, it is also a warm Tet," the male worker confided.
From here, the worry about housing no longer exists, Mr. Da Ra promised himself that he would try to work to overcome difficulties and raise his children to study properly. He plans that if there is surplus in the following years, he will buy his children a desk so that they have a better place to study, hoping that his children will have stable jobs and not have to work as hard as their father's life.
Warm kitchen after worried Tet seasons
Leaving Vinh Long, we returned to Dong Phuoc commune (Can Tho City) with Mr. Tran Cong Thoai - Chairman of the Trade Union of Hamaco Concrete Co., Ltd. - Hau Giang. Here, the family of Mr. Ly Minh Duyen - a company worker - is also enjoying the days leading up to Tet in unprecedented joy.
Mr. Duyen was originally the main breadwinner, his worker's salary was just enough to take care of his elderly mother, older sister with mental illness, and younger grandchild with intellectual disabilities. Previously, every time he went to work and encountered a storm, he was like sitting on a fire because he was afraid that the dilapidated house would collapse on his relatives' heads.
Ms. Ly Thi Long, Duyen's mother, sadly recalled: "In the old days, the house was rotten, the kitchen was degraded to the point of not being able to cook. When Tet came, looking at the house like that, I had no mind to clean it up." But this Spring, that kitchen has changed. With the Trade Union's support to repair it spaciously, Ms. Long personally wiped the altar, arranged gift bags of gratitude including cooking oil, sugar, and jams donated by the Trade Union and the company.
Her eyes stopped at her son - a man nearly 40 years old who still did not dare to think about personal happiness because of the family burden. She emotionally shared that, thanks to this house, she and her grandchildren can sleep well, and more importantly, her son will have a comfortable spirit to continue striving.
For Mr. Duyen, Trade Union Home is not only material support but also brings absolute peace of mind: "Now, after work, I have a proper place to rest, and I can go to work with peace of mind because I know my family has a safe place to live. That is the motivation for me to work better and contribute more to the unit as the most sincere thank you.
Two stories, two circumstances but sharing the same fulcrum named Trade Union. The homes are built not only with bricks and cement but also with understanding and sharing between the Trade Union organization and workers.
Entering the new year 2026, worries about the dilapidated house have receded, giving way to new hopes for children's education and long-term attachment to the factory. After each hour of work, the road home for workers like Mr. Da Ra and Mr. Duyen is now truly peaceful. There, Spring has come very close in the new, solid houses and cozy, meaningful kitchens.
