Officials and members of the War Veterans Associations at all levels in Da Nang have been active in participating in the movement "War veterans help each other do good business to escape from poverty. From this movement, many of them have moved out of poverty, and got rich legitimately, as well as created stable jobs for others.

The Veterans Association in Vinh Trung Ward, Thanh Khe District focuses on implementing a program to give social insurance books and health insurance cards to members in difficult circumstances in recent times.

Municipal War Veterans Association Vice Chairman Bui Chi Loan said that the Resolution of the Executive Committee of Municipal Veterans Association for the 2022-2027 tenure clearly stated that the above-mentioned movement has contributed to improving the material and spiritual life of the Association’s members, creating job opportunities for veterans, ex-military personnel, and their children. Furthermore, the movement has helped to encourage veteran entrepreneurs to do business, participate in charitable activities to help disadvantaged veterans, thereby contributing to promoting the city's socio-economic development.

In recent years, thanks to promoting this movement, the Association has yielded positive results in poverty reduction and economic development while the lives of its officials and members have been significantly improved. Till date, members of the Municipal War Veterans Association has established 52 small and medium-sized enterprises, 7 cooperatives, 14 cooperative groups, 17 farms, 52 family farms and thousands of business households, thereby creating job opportunities for more than 5,000 people, most of whom are veterans, ex-military personnel, and their children.

Ornamental plant business run by Mr. Nguyen Van Chan, Vice Chairman of the 'Veterans Do Business' Club in Hai Chau District is a typical example. Located on Thang Long Street, his business facility has created jobs for veterans, ex-military personnel, and their children with monthly average salary of VND 7 million - VND 10 million.

Mr. Chan said that the first days of starting a business were full of hardships and challenges. In his efforts to uphold good qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers", he persevered to overcome difficulties to develop the economy in an attempt to improve living conditions of his family, as well as help his comrades stabilize their lives. He regularly shares his experiences with other members of the Association, as well as support them to start a business. Mr. Nguyen Van Chan has not only done good at doing business, but also been active in giving back and helping others.

According to Vice Chairman of Hai Chau District Chapter Huynh Ngoc Tri, there are currently 32 business establishments owned by war veterans in the district that have helped many members in difficult circumstances find a job or lend capital to do business and develop their family economy.

In the 2017-2022 period, the District Chapter and its member organizations have raised more than VND 5 billion for ‘Revolving Loan Fund’ and VND 1 billion for “Comrade Relationship Fund’ to offer interest-free loans to poor veterans.

Heed has been paid to mobilizing resources to repair degraded houses for 36 poor households at a total cost of VND 1.2 billion. To date, the association has helped 45 out of 46 households move out of poverty, lifted 41 out of 42 households above near poverty line while the rate of well-off and wealthy households has increased from 45.78% to 54.4%.

Mr. Tri said that in early 2022, focus was paid to implementing the "Miracle Bracelet" program with the purpose of supporting disadvantaged member households who are not subject to social protection to have a better life. Till date, the program has spent VND 78 million on helping 13 poor households.

“With great care and support of the District authority and local relevant agencies, the District Chapter has successfully launched many programs that benefit its members. The practical support and effective education, and good encouragement from the District Chapter has helped lift its members up, as well as promoted the self-reliance in poor and near-poor veteran households to overcome difficulties with determination to move out of poverty", added Mr. Tri.

According to Mr. Bui Chi Loan, in 2023, the War Veterans Associations at all levels have raised VND 824 million from individuals and organizations to build 6 new houses and repair 14 others for poor veterans. Furthermore, heed was paid to establishing a ‘Comrade Relationship’ Fund worth more than VND 11 billion in total to help the District Chapter’s members get an interest-free loan for economic development. Moreover, importance was attached to working with the Municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a coordination program for the 2023-2027 period.

Accordingly, the department has supported nearly 60,000 seedling planting units with various types, 1 million chicken breeds and 2,400kg of chicken feed to poor veterans.

In its efforts to help its members to escape poverty sustainably, since 2022, the Veterans Associations at all levels in Da Nang have implemented a program to give social insurance books and health insurance cards to their members in difficult circumstances, contributing to ensuring effective implementation of the city’s social welfare policy, as well as helping their members reduce economic burden and improve the quality of life in them.

Initiated in 2022 by the Da Nang Veterans Association, the program have till date donated 126 social insurance books worth VND 890 million in total for veterans in difficult circumstances, along with 79 health insurance cards totaling VND 82.9 million for others.

The Da Nang Veterans Association will hold a seminar within May to discuss ways to make the movement ‘War veterans help each other do good business to escape from poverty’ more effective, as well as promote the widespread implementation of the movement, especially in mountainous areas. The ultimate goal is that in the next few years, the movement will develop more effectively to reduce the number of poor veteran families to zero, as well as improve living conditions of the Association’s officials and members.

Reporting by THANH PHUONG – Translating by H.L