At the age of 73, he was once at his ease, but Mr. Nguyen Tan Thien (Dong Khoi commune, Vinh Long) still tirelessly campaigned to build a bridge, contributing to changing the face of the countryside.
From 2020 to present, Mr. Thien has mobilized philanthropists to contribute to the construction of 260 concrete bridges with a total cost of more than 10.4 billion VND.
New bridges are stretched in many communes such as Dong Khoi, Mo Cay, An Dinh, Huong My, Tan Thanh Binh, Nhuan Phu Tan, Phuoc My Trung..., contributing to replacing the previous temporary monkey and wooden bridges.
Sharing about the motivation for doing this job, Mr. Thien said that at first, he simply thought of helping people to have less difficulty when traveling, especially children who go to school and are no longer afraid of falling into the river.
He spent money and mobilized more from people and benefactors from near and far. When he finished removing the monkey bridge in the village, he continued to other hamlets, then neighboring communes. Just like that, the number of demands is getting higher and higher.
Each bridge is not only a means of transportation but also contains affection and trust. He always stood up to mobilize and build the bridge with all his heart. "Thanks to that, benefactors trust and give us money to manage, thereby having more conditions to do more projects. Seeing the people happy, I have more motivation to continue to campaign," Mr. Thien added.
His joy is also the joy that the people enjoy. The completed bridges have brought about clear changes, making transportation more convenient for people in rural areas.
Mr. Nguyen Van Non, resident of An Quoi hamlet (Dong Khoi commune), emotionally said: "Thanks to Mr. Thien's movement, the bridge in the hamlet has been completed. More than 20 households are happy because children can go to school easily and transport goods conveniently".
Speaking with Lao Dong, Mr. Nguyen Van Be - Chairman of the Association of the Elderly in Dong Khoi commune - said that the new bridges have opened the way for travel, created conditions for economic development, and contributed to the construction of new rural areas. Mr. Nguyen Tan Thien is a shining example in the movement of studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style. He is dedicated and transparent, so many benefactors trust him.
"The spiritual and affectionate bridge spans built from the passion of a farmer over 70 have become "two banks of joy", bringing a new look and opportunities to change for thousands of people in Vinh Long. In the coming time, the Association of the Elderly in Dong Khoi commune will continue to join hands with Mr. Thien to mobilize benefactors to support the construction of more bridges, helping remote areas develop more conveniently," Mr. Be added.
