With the criterion ‘Just smile without paying fees’, the Da Nang SOS team founded by Mr. Dang Ngoc Tien, 28, a resident in Hai Chau District, has supported more than 30,000 cases of distress over the past 5 years. Regardless of whether it's winter night or summer day, the SOS team is ready to repair motorbikes owned by workers and students, or give free rides to poor patients, rescue those in accidents.

Through meaningful work, in 2022, SOS Da Nang Team Captain Dang Ngoc Tien (right) was awarded the ‘Youth Contributing to the Community’ award by the Vietnamese Volunteer Community. Photo: H.V

After nearly a week of being exposed to the rain and sun, coordinating with the local authorities to help retrieved the body of a 6-year-old child in Lang Co Town (Thua Thien Hue Province drowned, Mr. Tien and his peers in the SOS team rushed back to Da Nang continued their rescue mission when needed.

The rescue journey was difficult and even life-threatening, but he and his team members did not have time to think much about themselves and rushed to the rescue because if they were one minute late, they would regret.

In recent days, the whole team devoted 100% of their efforts to recover the bodies of nearly 12 drowned people. Because most of the victims' families faced difficulties, they did not have enough money to pay rescue fees. The Da Nang SOS team did not receive fees from the victims’ families but their smile. That smile is a great encouragement and comfort to give the rescues’ strength.

When asked under what circumstances the team was born, and what difficulties there were in arranging personal affairs and social work, Mr. Tien said, he and his relatives many times had problems with their car having a flat tyre while traveling on the road late at night without knowing what to do.

At that time, he thought that if he put himself in that situation, he would feel worried and scared, and surely others would, too, which was a fact prompting the birth of the SOS Da Nang team. With his meaningful work, in 2022, Tien was awarded the ‘Youths contributing to the community’ award by the Vietnamese Volunteer Community.

“Currently, I do online business and work part-time in the furniture filed so I have quite a flexible work schedule. Sometimes when I have a lot of work, I will make the best arrangements to be able to go for emergency support so I won't have any difficulties.”, Mr. Tien said.

To date, the team has nearly 40 members who are students, workers, and freelancers. Each member has different circumstances and jobs, but when support is needed, everyone always tries to be present anytime and anywhere.

The team’s members usually repair motorbikes from 7:00 p.m to midnight every day, being ready to offer free rides to poor patients or support those in accidents around the clock. If the case is far away, the team will act as a bridge to communicate with provinces and cities to provide faster support.

“Initially, when the team was just established, the members and I spend our own money maintaining the team's work. Later, many philanthropists donated financial and material support to us. In addition to supporting victims, keeping team members safe is very important. In the future, the team will expand so that many young people have the opportunity to participate in helping people in need," Mr. Tien expressed.

Mr. Ta Cong Tinh, a 22-year-old student, a member of the SOS Da Nang team, said that his unforgettable memory with the SOS team was on a sudden rainy night. At that time, five members went together to assist with a punctured tyre case on Vo Nguyen Giap Street.

The members were busy checking and patching the tyre when heavy rain suddenly poured down, but there were only two raincoats. One was used to cover the motorbike and the other was for the member who was patching the tyre, We were soaked but everyone was still happy when they finished their work.

“I feel proud of such an every small action helps. Just seeing everyone smile without having paying a repair fee, the team members felt happy,”, Tinh said excitedly.

Mr. Tien said that he and his members are willing to devote their youth and agility to support as many cases as possible. For him, it was a small deed, but for many people, for the community, it was a big one, a beautiful act of compassion, full of the spirit of sharing and giving. Hopefully, in the near future, the team's work will spread positive energy to everyone.

Reporting by HUYNH VU - Translating by A.THU