Lonely circumstances in an old house
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, when many families are busy shopping and worrying about a fulfilling Tet, in Dong Le village, Quang Bi commune, Hanoi, the small house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thao (born in 1935) is still quiet and contemplative like her own lonely life for more than 90 years.
Previously, Lao Dong Newspaper published an article "No pension, end of allowance, a 91-year-old woman needs help", reflecting the particularly difficult circumstances of Ms. Thao - an elderly woman without husband and children, without pension, who used to receive social allowances but the policy period has expired.
After the reflection, on February 9, Lao Dong Newspaper directly visited and presented Ms. Thao with a gift sent by readers of the Newspaper.
Present at Ms. Thao's house on a day near Tet, reporters could not help but feel sad.
The small house is nestled in the neighborhood, the tiled roof is old, the walls are stained with traces of time. Inside, there is nothing of value except an old bamboo bed, a few simple household items and a smoky kitchen.
At the age of 91, Ms. Thao still has to manage all daily activities on her own. She is deaf, in poor health, and has difficulty walking. Every day, she still has to cook rice with a fireplace, light a fire in the cold winter days. That flickering fireplace is both a source of warmth and a place for her to fight against loneliness when she has no relatives by her side.
Ms. Thao lives alone, without husband or children. Only Mr. Tuan, her nephew, occasionally comes to visit and support her when sick. But making a living makes it impossible for him to be by her side often.
Receiving the gift from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Thao trembled, her cloudy eyes lit up with emotion. For her, it is not just financial support, but sharing, a warmth in the days leading up to Tet.
Family feels warm because of humanity
Sharing with reporters, Mr. Tuan - Ms. Thao's nephew - emotionally said: "Mrs. Thao did not get married, her whole life was very hard. Today, my family really feels warm because of the affection, care, and friendly help that Lao Dong Newspaper and everyone gives to her.
Unable to hide his emotion, Mr. Tuan said that after the article was published, his family received a lot of attention from the local government and mass organizations, especially at the time when Tet Nguyen Dan is very near.
Talking to reporters about Ms. Thao's situation, Mr. Trinh Van Cuong - Head of the Culture - Society Department of Quang Bi commune - said that Ms. Thao is eligible for policies according to Resolution No. 17/2023/NQ-HDND of the Hanoi People's Council.
Previously, he received a support level of about 2 million VND per month. However, this program ended in December 2025 according to regulations," Mr. Cuong informed.
Immediately after receiving the reflection on Ms. Thao's situation, the People's Committee of Quang Bi commune directed the Economic Department and the Department of Culture and Society to coordinate with Mr. Tuan's family to complete the dossier and submit it through the Public Administrative Service Center to consider appropriate social security regimes.
By February 10, Ms. Thao had received a new allowance for January, February and March with a level of 650,000 VND per month. In addition, she also received 300,000 VND of Tet gift money from Hanoi city.
Not only stopping there, during this Lunar New Year, Quang Bi commune also pays special attention to poor households and vulnerable people.
According to Mr. Trinh Van Cuong, the Department of Culture and Society has advised the Party Committee and the People's Committee of the commune to implement the "Tet of Compassion" program from socialized funds. In which, the Committee block has presented more than 400 gifts, and the Fatherland Front bloc has presented more than 300 gifts to people throughout the commune.
As for Ms. Thao, the Commune People's Committee presented a gift worth 700,000 VND, including 500,000 VND in cash and a gift bag worth 200,000 VND. The Commune Fatherland Front also plans to present another gift to her in the afternoon of the same day.
Previously, at the time people reflected, the Economic Department - People's Committee of Quang Bi commune said that Ms. Thao's failure to continue to receive allowances according to Resolution 17 was because the policy had expired, not because of arbitrary cuts or omissions of beneficiaries.
In the chilly last days of the year, the small fire in Ms. Thao's firewood kitchen today seems warmer. Because besides material gifts, the most precious thing she receives is care, sharing, and a little simple human kindness but enough to warm people's hearts in the days leading up to Tet.
