BTO – “…The thatched, leaf-walled hut standing alone in the Bàu Chản area (Bình An commune – Bắc Bình district) has been home to the family of Mr. Trần Mỹ Trung (born 1968) for more than ten years. The house is open at the front and gaping at the back; “even when we have a bag of rice, we don't know where to hide it if it suddenly rains.” The rickety bamboo bed where the grandmother and grandchildren lie down is rotten and lopsided. One day, while out gathering clams, his wife was tragically swept away by the water, leaving behind her husband and three young children. All the mounting hardships have now fallen on Mr. Trung's shoulders… He works day and night, taking whatever job anyone will hire him for, hoping to earn enough to see his children properly through school. From overwork and long periods of heavy labor, his tuberculosis has come back…”

Unfortunate lives

Ms. Lê Thị Như Hoa, Chair of the Bình Minh Hotel trade union, held the new issue of the newspaper in her hands, reading it over and over and feeling deep compassion for Mr. Trung's family. After reading the article, Ms. Hoa immediately spoke with the Board of Directors of the Bình Minh Hotel and proposed giving Mr. Trung's family 5 million VND to help buy medicine for his treatment and put food on the table at this most difficult time. This is not the first time Ms. Hoa has been moved by the plight of “unfortunate lives” she read about in Bình Thuận Newspaper, heard on the radio or saw in online newspapers: for more than 3 years now, Ms. Lê Thị Như Hoa has been keeping watch for people facing hardship and illness in order to help them. She said: “As the head of the trade union representing staff, union members and workers, I follow cases of people who need help, then discuss them with everyone so that we can provide funds to help these unfortunate people get the means to rise up and overcome their illness.” Ms. Hoa added: “In 12/2010, the Bình Minh Hotel trade union came up with the initiative of setting up the ‘unfortunate lives’ fund, to raise money and to encourage union members and workers to turn toward the community and help people in difficult circumstances or suffering from illness, and to live by the principle of ‘when you drink water, remember its source’ by caring for people and policy-beneficiary families who face many difficulties in life. At first, the union placed donation boxes in busy spots so that staff, union members and workers could put money in every day. Later, finding that too little was collected, we encouraged union members to contribute directly to the ‘unfortunate lives’ fund. Thanks to this, the fund has grown more each year. After more than 3 years, the union's ‘unfortunate lives’ fund has reached 160 million VND, which has been given to 78 cases. In 2013 alone, the Bình Minh Hotel trade union supported 34 people in unfortunate circumstances with 64 million VND. Most of these ‘unfortunate lives’ had been featured in Bình Thuận Newspaper. In many cases, staff and union members of the Bình Minh Hotel trade union went in person to visit, offer encouragement and hand over the money directly, so that union members and workers would better understand and feel more compassion for these unfortunate lives.”

Nhật Bảo