The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe economic and spiritual consequences for the people around the world, including those in Viet Nam and Da Nang in particular. However, in the past time, the kind deeds of Da Nang people such as exempting and reducing accommodation fees, supporting necessities or being willing to buy vehicles to present to needy people returning to their hometown have made even the toughest people feel warm inside.

"Help others first, my problems will come later"

At the end of 2020, Mr Le Van Hoang, borrowed VND 1 billion from a bank in order to have funds to build a 17-room rental accommodation at 152 Nguyen Binh Street, Hoa An Ward, Cam Le District. However, seeing unemployed tenants’ life was difficult when COVID-19 broke out, Hoang did not hesitate to waive 3 to 6 months of room rent, as well as buy food to help tenants with the spirit of “Help others first, my problems will come later"

Mr Le Minh Hieu, one of the tenants here shared, "I have worked in Da Nang for 10 years, used to stay in many places but never met a special owner like Mr Hoang. His concern makes us feel very fortunate to be able to sympathize and share.”

In the same vein, Ms Vu Thi Nhu, owner of 50 rented rooms in Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District from July 2021, decided to reduce the rent by 25-50%, depending on each circumstance. Ms Nguyen Thi Ng, a tenant here, and her husband have two young children so the interruption of work made their life even more difficult amid the tough time facing the pandemic. "We are here as a big family, sometimes having no money to buy milk for our children, I ask my place’s owner to ask for help and always be fully supported".

Ready to “bring locals back hometown no matter how difficult"

The small family of Ms Nguyen Thi Ngoc Linh, Khue Trung Ward, Cam Le District, decided to celebrate Tet in Da Nang after many years of living and working in Ho Chi Minh City. After 2 months of struggling in the middle of the city because the COVID-19 outbreak caused Ho Chi Minh City to enter a long blockade from mid-May 2021, her family was facilitated by Da Nang to return to the hometown on the free flight in July 2021

Similarly, Mr Anh and his wife were present on this flight back to Da Nang, "Thanks to the pandemic, my wife and I went home to celebrate Tet with our parents soon.  This is an opportunity to rest and reunite with our family after many years of living in the South".

The policy of bringing Da Nang labourers from Ho Chi Minh City to the hometown to avoid the pandemic was unanimously supported by the people. Mr Ho Van Dac, Chairman of the Hai Chau District compatriots in Ho Chi Minh City, assessed this policy as very humane, demonstrating the responsibility of the city government for the safety of people during the pandemic.

Support people returning home

In October, Mr Vu Ba Giai, his wife and 11-month old daughter, from Ky Son District, Nghe An Province, was given a motorbike worth VND 20 million by the Da Nang traffic police on the way back to his hometown. At each stop, people on both sides of the road give food, water, and milk to them. “The most emotional thing was when I stopped at the Hai Van tunnel, perhaps seeing that my motorbike was too “broken” so the traffic policemen gave me a new one. This kindness I will remember forever," Mr Giai recalled.

Since mid-October, many volunteer groups, unions and organizations were waiting for the long stream of people returning to their hometowns across Hai Van pass to provide medicine, water, bread regardless of day and night. Besides, 19 "compatriot trips", transporting hundreds of people and vehicles for free from

Da Nang to the northern provinces are also organized to give priority to the elderly, pregnant women, children and people in poor health.

Da Nang has multiplied kind deeds, noble deeds with a spirit of willingness to share the love during the past 2 years. Photo: TIEU YEN- HONG QUANG

On top of that, municipal authorities have always paid attention and created spiritual and material conditions for people to return to their hometown to avoid the pandemic passing through Da Nang, such as opening the Hai Van tunnel for motorbikes, requesting the Red Cross Society, the municipal Committee of Viet Nam Fatherland Front, medical staff to prepare food, water, milk, raincoats, medicine, soup, hot porridge to support people and handle medical problems. It was a difficult but happy period when we had a chance to witness so many kind hearts for the sake of the compatriots.

All in all, along with the coordinated activities to welcome overseas Vietnamese to return home to avoid the epidemic through the international airport during the past 2 years, Da Nang has continued to multiply kind and noble deeds, with the spirit of being ready to share love, for the sake of peace and happy life for everyone.

Reporting by TIEU YEN- Translating by T.VY