Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity) newspaper talked with Nguyen Van Chu, chairman of the Fatherland Front from Thong Nhat District, Dong Nai Province, about activities to help the poor.
Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity) newspaper talked with Nguyen Van Chu, chairman of the Fatherland Front from Thong Nhat District,
The People’s Committee of Thong Nhat has tried its best to help poor people over the last few years. What role has the District Fatherland Front played in these activities?
Recruiting motivated people who are keen to work for the benefit of everyone is very important to the success of our community activities. We try to make sure that we have a good management structure in place and for many years the Front has held training sessions for our staff at grassroots level. We have also carried out campaigns to call for people to host many cultural events such as music festivals. These foster and build a good spirit between everyone in the community.
This year, the Front will send delegations of people to communes to guide existing staff and review team performance.
As well as this, the Front and member organisations have diversified the way we recruit people to join our organisation. Following successful promotional activities during the first six months of this year, the Women’s Association has signed up 1,026 new members, the Farmer’s Association recruited 417 people and the Viet Nam Youth Union Federation found 636 new young people to join. When we have good staff and community participation, it is easy for us to achieve our goals.
How have the activities been carried out?
Caring for poor people is our first priority. At all levels, the Front co-operates with organisations and encourages all people to help each other; we try to make sure that rich households help poor families.
During the first six months of 2007, the Front has called for people to build unity houses for poor people. So far, we have built 60 houses worth VND594 million and each poor person can benefit from free accommodation. Representatives from the District’s churches and pagodas have organised fundraising activities which have donated VND99 million to the house-building scheme.
The District is also focusing on getting rid of all the temporary accommodation in Xuan Thien, Xuan Thanh Communes so each poor person has somewhere permanent to live.
The Front and all local authorities donated gifts worth VND1 billion to poor people, orphans, and elderly people who live alone. More than VND200 million was given to assist people from hamlets 2 and 3 which suffered damage from whirlwinds. Of this money, VND50 million was spent on building five houses.The Front at each commune granted 205 scholarships worth VND41 million to poor students. The Standing Committee of the Communal Fatherland Front also funded water tanks for poor people living in ethnic communities.
What else does the organisation do to help people improve their role?
In order to make people fully understand their role in community development, the Front and member organisations continuously create conditions for members, and other people to learn about social policy and law. They then meet at People Council’s and delegates are able to express their opinions and be fully informed when they debate issues.
During the first six months of 2007, representatives from each commune co-operated with the People’s Council at grassroots level and held meetings between delegates. In total, 2,478 people were involved. At the meeting, problems like food hygiene, environmental pollution, bank loans, and land certificates were discussed.
The District Front also guide Commune-level People’s Committees about conflict between residents; it is important to limit disagreements and create solidarity in the community.
(Source: VNS)
