At the age of 66, Mr Pham Cong Luong, residing in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District, Da Nang has still participated in social and volunteer activities regularly with all his heart and enthusiasm. He is also one of the few typical individuals in Da Nang to have just received Certificates of Merit from the Prime Minister for his typical achievements in studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style.

Veteran Pham Cong Luong (right) gives a free haircut to the elderly in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District. Photo: LE PHUONG

In times past, he used to play an important role as a barber to cut his teammates' hair during his days on the battlefield. At present, he usually goes to a barbershop to learn more expertise in a bid to promote his skills. As soon as he receives a call from the elderly, veterans, children or disabled people asking him to cut his or her hair, Mr Luong immediately set out to cut their hair voluntarily and completely free of charge. For him, just seeing people happy due to having beautiful and neat hair makes him happy and has more motivation to continue his work.

In addition, Mr Luong also mobilized 34 children in the neighbourhood to establish a "kid" environmental team aiming to help people collect waste and sell scrap to raise funds for social security work. Since 2018, he has used the mobilized amount of more than VND 133 million to encourage students to overcome difficulties to pursue their academic dream, visit the elderly when they are sick, support needy people and contribute to the local COVID-19 prevention and control duties.

Moreover, this beautiful and meaningful activity of Mr Luong and the children has contributed to spreading the awareness of preserving the environment to each person in the neighbourhood. As a Cell Secretary of residential area Binh Phuoc No.1  in Thuan Phuoc Ward, Hai Chau District, he has frequently mobilized people to take care of trees and put waste in prescribed places, raise funds and mobilize manpower to proactively replace broken manhole covers.

Pham Cong Luong is also called an "initiative person" since he has many ideas being applied in practice and bringing high effect, such as a colour printed leaflet model with the criterion of "family of 4 merits", or organizing annual "Thuan Phuoc gratitude music night " which brings a large amount of money to help the locality have funds to deploy many meaningful welfare activities

Previously, when he was Head of the Propaganda Department of Thuan Phuoc Ward, he also had the initiative and was agreed by local leaders to deploy a newsletter of the ward for locals updating with awarding scholarships, volunteer activities and big activities which are concretized via the bulletins and vivid images made by him.

As shared by the veteran Pham Cong Luong, his volunteering never ends since its it is his joy and reason to live. For him, happiness is witnessing the old man's bright smile when having hair cut, the joy of a poor student receiving a gift, or simply the clean and beautiful road he passes through every day.

Reporting by LE PHUONG- Translating by T.VY