The silent hero "heals" the "wounds" of the road

For many years now, the image of Mr. Nguyen Van Kham, residing in Tan Thanh B commune, Tan Hong district, Dong Thap province, sitting diligently patching up the “wounds” on the road surface has become familiar to the people here. The “potholes” and “elephant holes” that used to haunt the local people have now been “healed” thanks to his talented hands.

Mr. Nguyen Van Kham and his son - Nguyen Quoc Khiem patching the road along Tu Tan canal (Tan Thanh B commune)

From early morning, when everyone was busy going to work, he was seen there and until late afternoon, when he came home from work, he was still seen sitting there diligently, typing, regardless of the sun, regardless of the dust on the road, regardless of the people passing by.

Starting from the roads his family often traveled, Mr. Kham gradually expanded his "scope of operations" to main routes such as Go Tre, the East bank of Sa Rai canal, the West bank of Tan Thanh canal, Provincial Road 843..., all bearing the mark of his tireless efforts.

Although his economic situation is not very good, with an unstable income from his job as a hired hand “doing whatever is asked of him” not enough to support his family, but over the years people still see him spending most of his time and energy patching roads, sometimes having to eat quickly, even on holidays. Although his hands are calloused from hard work, he always has a bright smile every time he completes a section of road.

Perhaps, Mr. Kham’s way of doing things is “unique” in the whole country. Few people think of “patching” roads that are not near their homes. If anything, people only contribute money, and work with the locality to build bridges, roads, upgrade rural roads, alleys, etc. As for Mr. Kham, whenever he sees a “pothole” within his health, he “takes action”. Using a process that is opposite to the asphalt paving of his profession, he patiently fills the road surface with enthusiasm and the spirit of “me for everyone”.

After work, he often spends time going around observing and looking for roads that need repair. The materials he uses to “patch the road” are often found by him everywhere. All morning, he goes around asking for asphalt waste from newly completed projects. When the asphalt has dried and hardened, he uses a knife to pry it up, brushes off the grass and trash, puts it in a bag and takes it home.

In front of his house, he painstakingly crushed them into small pieces, mixed them with kerosene, and created a thick mixture. Then, he used small stones to “pound” this mixture into the potholes on the road. The kerosene and the heat of the sun would melt the plastic, then help them stick together. Cars passing over them would compress them, making them more solid. A few hours later, the road surface would be smoother than before, no longer afraid of cars hitting potholes are the secrets shared by Mr. Kham.

Under the harsh sunlight of the West, the blinding dust on the road, the calluses on his hands… all of these do not discourage him. For Mr. Kham, patching roads is not simply repairing damage but also a way to show his love for his homeland. Each filled pothole is a small joy for him. He works with all his heart, not afraid of difficulties and hardships, just hoping that the country roads will become smoother and safer for the people.

Whenever someone reports a road breakdown, Mr. Kham will be there. It can't be immediate, but you don't have to wait too long either. Whoever reports first will come first, whoever reports later will wait a couple of days, rain or shine, he never stops. For him, repairing degraded roads is not a duty, but a joy.

Gradually, seeing the meaning of his work, local people and benefactors contributed sand, rocks, cement, etc. for him to go and “heal the wounds” of the roads. They loved him so much that, whenever they saw him stop his car on the side of the road, someone would immediately bring him water, someone would stop to ask him questions. Their affection for him was like a sincere thank you, like a great source of encouragement for him to continue his meaningful work.

Mr. Huynh Van Son, a local resident, shared: “The economic situation of Mr. Kham’s family is still difficult, so he is very enthusiastic about business, and at the same time always shows the spirit of participating in charity work, sharing and helping many people with his own efforts. I witnessed Mr. Kham “patching” the collapsed and sunken areas of the roads…”. Those sincere words partly expressed the respect and gratitude of the people for Mr. Kham.

After many years of volunteer work, Mr. Kham has mobilized people inside and outside the locality to support sand, stone, and cement with a total value of nearly 200 million VND to carry out the work of "healing wounds" for collapsed and sunken traffic routes, especially rural traffic in and out of Tan Thanh B commune with a total length of about 100km.

Not only that, he also inspired his son, Nguyen Quoc Khiem (born in 2009) to join this meaningful work. Although still young, Quoc Khiem was very proud to be able to "patch" the road with his father. The boy innocently shared: "I helped carry sand, rocks, carry water, mix mortar... It was tiring but I felt very happy because it helped smooth the road and make driving smoother. Later, when my father is old and weak, I will continue the work of repairing and patching the road." The boy's innocent words touched the hearts of many people.

Mr. Kham’s meaningful work has recently been duly recognized when he was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Head of the Central Propaganda Department for his outstanding achievements in studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and style. The rough and bumpy country roads have now become smooth, contributing significantly to the socio-economic development of the locality.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/nguoi-hung-tham-lang-va-lanh-nhung-vet-thuong-duong-368346.html