President Vo Van Thưởng shared this at the launching ceremony to support the construction of solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province on May 13th.

Vice Chairman of VCCI, Hoang Quang Phong, representing the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), supports with 400 million Vietnamese dong.

President Vo Van Thưởng emphasizes that the victory of Dien Bien Phu is a shining milestone, an immortal heroic epic in the history of the nation, and a brilliant symbol of the strength of national unity.

A beautiful endeavor

"With determination and a resilient spirit born from the great dedication and sacrifices of the entire party, the entire people, and our armed forces, including the direct contributions of the military and people of Dien Bien province and the Northwestern region, who served as both the frontlines and the direct rear area in the Dien Bien Phu campaign."

We are heading towards the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, in the context where the country has achieved significant and historic accomplishments in nearly 40 years of renewal. "The lives of the people in general, including the lives of ethnic minorities and people in remote and mountainous areas, are increasingly improving and advancing," said President Vo Van Thuong

However, President Vo Van Thuong believes that compared to the overall development level of the country, Dien Bien and the provinces in the Northwestern region still face many difficulties and have inadequate infrastructure. Thousands of poor households still live in dilapidated temporary houses. A portion of the population lacks social services such as clean water, lighting facilities, schools, and healthcare services.

The goal of mobilizing the construction of 7,000 to 8,000 solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province and some areas in the Northwestern region within a one-year period, from May 2023 to May 2024, under the program "Million Hearts of Love - Thousand Happy Homes," reflects a high determination to eradicate temporary and dilapidated housing, ensuring that poor households have safe and stable homes, and improving their living conditions to sustainably overcome poverty.

"This is a beautiful endeavor, demonstrating a humanitarian and compassionate spirit, providing practical assistance, and serving as both a responsibility and a way to express gratitude to the spirit that has helped our compatriots of different ethnic groups in the region, who have previously made great sacrifices and contributions, gave their blood and sweated selflessly for the homeland," affirmed President Vo Van Thuong.

With that significance, President Vo Van Thưởng calls on businesses, organizations, collectives, individuals, civil servants, armed forces personnel, members of mass organizations, and people from all walks of life in Vietnam, as well as Vietnamese people living abroad, to uphold the tradition of unity, compassion, gratitude, and join together in supporting and contributing to the successful implementation of this program by the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

"After 70 years of the liberation of Dien Bien, it is still our responsibility that a certain proportion of our compatriots have to live in temporary and dilapidated houses. Therefore, I hope that on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dien Bien, we will fulfill this responsibility, so that our compatriots of ethnic minorities in Dien Bien province can have a happy and warm home," expressed President Vo Van Thuong

At the launching ceremony to support the construction of solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province, Vice Chairman of VCCI, Hoang Quang Phong, representing the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), pledged a support of 400 million Vietnamese dong.

The goal is to mobilize the construction of 7,000 to 8,000 solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province and some areas in the Northwest region within a one-year period, from May 2023 to May 2024.

From that perspective, President Vo Van Thuong suggests that the provincial authorities in Dien Bien and the Northwest region should focus on effectively training, directing, and managing the allocation of support resources, implementing synchronized measures to improve social welfare, and providing assistance for livelihoods. The goal is not just to escape poverty but also to strive for a more fulfilling and higher-quality life.

Leveraging the advantages of historical traditions, cultural identity, and mobilizing overall resources for sustainable development. The central and local authorities continue to pay attention to reviewing, evaluating, and effectively promoting socioeconomic development policies in mountainous and border areas, including Dien Bien province and specific areas in the Northwest.

Efforts should be made to implement high-quality and effective national target programs for building new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, socioeconomic development, and the provision of education and training for ethnic minorities and mountainous regions.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front, mass organizations, and media agencies are requested to actively encourage and mobilize the people's efforts, labor, and creative spirit to achieve sustainable poverty alleviation, strengthen propaganda, encouragement, and inspiration, and promote exemplary models and disseminate good practices for disadvantaged remote areas that still face difficulties and hardships.

Joining hands to help people escape poverty

Dien Bien is a mountainous and border province with a strategically important position in terms of economy, politics, and society, with over 80% of the population belonging to ethnic minorities. During the resistance war against French colonialists, the people and army of Dien Bien achieved numerous heroic feats, particularly the glorious victory of Dien Bien Phu, which "resounded throughout the five continents and shook the globe."

Launching the campaign to support the construction of solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province.

In recent years, the Party, State, and various levels and sectors have implemented many policies to support Dien Bien province in social welfare and poverty reduction efforts. However, the lives of the people, especially ethnic minority communities, still face many difficulties.

As of March 2023, there are 7,447 households in Dien Bien province categorized as policy beneficiaries, poor households, or near-poor households living in temporary, dilapidated, and damaged houses in need of renovation and repairs. Among them, 5,479 households require support for renovation.

To provide practical support to Dien Bien province, the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front has developed a plan called "Campaign to Support the Construction of Solidarity Houses for Poor Households in Dien Bien province, aiming to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024)."

The plan focuses on mobilizing resources to renovate and build 7,000 - 8,000 solidarity houses for poor and near-poor households in several provinces in the Northwest region, including supporting Dien Bien province with the construction of 5,000 houses. The support amount per house is 50 million VND, with an estimated total funding of around 350 - 400 billion VND. The plan will be implemented from May 2023 to May 2024.

VCCI Vice Chairman Hoang Quang Phong attended the launching ceremony to support the construction of solidarity houses for poor households in Dien Bien province.

The project aims to ensure that poor households throughout Dien Bien province have safe and stable housing, improve their living standards, achieve sustainable poverty reduction, and contribute to reducing the overall poverty rate in the country during the 2021-2025 period.

During the support launching ceremony, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien emphasized the humanitarian significance and importance of the project in accompanying localities in the efforts to eradicate poverty, support the lives of the people in Dien Bien province specifically, and the people in the Northwest region in general.

To ensure the effectiveness of the project, the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front called on government agencies, businesses, philanthropists, and all segments of the population to actively respond to the call of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, contribute their efforts and resources to help people escape poverty, and contribute to the construction of the homeland and the nation.