Keeping “flame” alive in border areas
Sitting by the cooking fire of the Dao and H'mong people and listening to their stories about the deeds of the border guards, I came to truly understand that protecting the peace in border areas is not only about guarding every inch of land and every border marker, but also about nurturing human connection, ensuring that no one is left behind in the life.
At the Border Post of Soc Giang Border Gate, I visited a Nung ethic boy named Long Thai Hung, an adopted child of the unit with shy eyes, shone with hope. He lost his father at the age of one and has been adopted by border troops since August 2021. Hung shared that border troops provide him with meals, take him to school, make him clothes, and even buy toys for him. He sees them like his parents.
    |
 |
|
Local people from Na Po village, Quang Han commune receiving the financial support for the construction of a solar-powered lighting system from Cao Bang border guard force (Photo: bienphong.com.vn) |
Late in the following afternoon, I had the chance to accompany troops of the Border Post of Soc Trang Border Gate to Ban Hoong hamlet (Truong Ha commune), where they were helping the family of Ly Van Truong complete their new house. In the mist, dozens of border troops and local people together carried materials, digging foundations, pouring concrete, etc. Truong touchingly shared that without the help of border troops and local authority, he wouldn’t have dared to dream of having a house like that.
According to Senior Colonel Dang Hong Quan, Political Commissar of the Border Guard Command under the Cao Bang provincial Military Command, in response to the movement “The whole country joins hands to eliminate temporary houses and dilapidated houses nationwide,” since the beginning of 2024, Cao Bang’s border guards has mobilized nearly 1,000 officers and soldiers to assist 98 households in building and repairing their homes. Among these, 28 families received direct support to build new houses, with a total value of nearly VND 1 billion.
Extended arm of local people
Leaving Soc Giang, I followed border troops from the Border Post of Tra Linh international border gate to Co To B hamlet, Quang Han commune. A sudden downpour turned the mountain road slick with mud, caking the tires. However, amidst these challenges, I witnessed a deeply moving scene: nearly ten border troops were urgently helping Phuong Thi Thoi, an ethnic woman, relocate her livestock pen from beneath stilt houses.
|
|
 |
|
Troops of the Border Station of Tra Linh Border Gate help local people build their new houses. |
In border communes, keeping livestock under stilt houses is a long-standing custom. However, it causes serious pollution and severely affects health. Since 2020, Cao Bang border guards have implemented a program to support the relocation of animal pens. What may seem like a small task has, in fact, transformed living habits, raised awareness, and improved the quality of life for local residents. A seemingly small thing has changed local people’s living habits, raised their awareness, and improved their living environment.
According to Sr. Col. Dang Hong Quan, since the beginning of this year alone, border stations in Cao Bang province have jointly provided nearly 2,000 gift packages, hundreds of scholarships, and more than 1,000 Chung cakes, as well as offered free health check-ups and treatment for local people. Attentively, the “Lighting up border areas” model has installed 545 solar-powered lighting systems in villages without access to the national power grid, bringing light to remote and isolated areas.
Source: baobienphong
Translated by Quynh Oanh