Special house of gratitude of Uncle Ho's soldiers in Africa

Information from the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Abyei (UNISFA) said that before the historic flood season in 2022, along with the instability in security and order in the Southern Division, many people had all their properties robbed, their husbands and children were killed, they had to flee to Abyei town to ask for security support, protected by UNISFA, including many families with only women and children, life was very difficult, living in the open...

Ngôi nhà tình nghĩa đặc biệt của bộ đội cụ Hồ trên đất châu Phi - Ảnh 1.

There was a family of indigenous people who had just migrated from another place and lived about 300 meters from the gate where the Vietnamese Engineer Corps was stationed. The family had 9 members (3 generations), all women, and lived in a temporary, tattered hut, about 5-6 square meters wide, with very difficult living conditions.

To help them have a more stable life, the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Engineering Team No. 1 mobilized all union members and youth (including 63 young cadres and party members) to build a house of gratitude to help this family.

During the implementation of the task, the union members proactively collected discarded but recyclable wood to process into columns, rafters, purlins, and beams; corrugated iron to make roofs, walls, partitions, etc. When organizing the processing force, with the skillful hands of the soldiers, they took advantage of their days off and breaks to process.

After 2 weeks of proactively overcoming difficulties with the highest sense of responsibility of the cadres and union members, a two-room house with an area of about 40 m2 was formed. To make the house sturdy, private but still airy, and to preserve the traditional features of the locality, the cadres and soldiers proactively bought cement to pour the column bases, bought screws to connect the columns, rafters, and beams. For the roof and walls, in addition to connecting and screwing the corrugated iron sheets tightly, they also spread a layer of nylon fabric to prevent leaks and insects.

In addition, the union members also used 160,000 SSP (about 5.3 million VND) to buy grass panels and bamboo strips to cover the entire exterior of the house. From a distance, it looks no different from some of the houses of the local people, but this is one of the most spacious, solid, and clean houses in the area.

The house was completed and handed over to the family on March 23, 2023, in the joy and happiness of the family members. For the local people, the fact that Vietnamese soldiers built houses for the people attracted special attention. During the construction process, many curious locals came to see and visit with surprise, respect and admiration. They said that this phenomenon had never happened in the area, it was something very strange to the local people and this was the first time they saw a United Nations unit building houses for the poor.

"Hopefully, from the house that Vietnamese youth have given, the local families will have a better place to live and a better life, and will not have to migrate elsewhere. This is also the motivation for the families and people here to rise up and take control of their lives, overcome the low points of history, overcome the harsh difficulties of nature, unite together to overcome all difficulties and challenges to have a stable and better life" - Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Quang Tuyen, Political Commissar of Engineering Team No. 1, shared.

Previously, also within the activities of the Youth Month to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union March 26, 1931 - March 26, 2023, the Youth Union proactively coordinated with the youth of Abyei High School to organize the gathering of materials to pour concrete into two classrooms with a total area of over 90 m2 at Abyei High School. Closely coordinated with the Women's Union to effectively organize activities to help the school and people with techniques for planting and caring for agricultural plants and providing some plant varieties to the indigenous people. Coordinated with the Level 1 Field Hospital of the Engineer Team to present the medical staff of Abyei High School with a medicine cabinet, along with some medical equipment and some common medicines such as bandages, knives, scissors, antiseptics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, tiger balm so that the school can promptly handle cases of illness and injury.

In addition, the Youth Union of the Engineering Team and the Women's Association are always the core forces in the cultural and artistic movements, sports, etc., especially in the Multinational Day Celebration of the UNISFA Mission, the Vietnamese sports teams have achieved many outstanding achievements such as the first place in badminton, second place in military shooting, second place in volleyball, etc.

Some pictures: