Turn pain into motivation

Like many other soldiers, after completing the task of defending the Fatherland, in 1977, Dang Khac Xuan (born in 1954) returned to his hometown in Thanh Giang village, Tru Huu commune (Luc Ngan district). His couple in turn gave birth to four children but their first daughter suffered from cerebral palsy and heart failure. His wounds recur whenever the weather changes.

Agent Orange/dioxin victims are provided with jobs at the Phu Quy Humanitarian Center (Bac Giang city).

Along with the encouragement of comrades and members of the communal Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, Xuan and his wife have tried to overcome difficulties. With huge sweat poured down, now the 15,000sq.m garden of his family is covered with the green of fruit trees. He dug the lowland area into ponds to breed fish and supply water to the garden. Part of the remaining area is devoted to raising pigs and chickens...

This year's lychee crop, his family earned more than 300 million VND (12,900 USD) in profit. Not only enriching himself, since 2018, as the Chairman of the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin of Tru Huu commune, Xuan has actively shared experience with and supported capital and seedlings for the association’s members to help them overcome difficulties together.

We visited the family of Giap Van Kien (born in 1955) in the Phu My residential area, Dinh Ke ward. Kien recounted the period of mental breakdown when the first newborn child was deformed and died at the age of 6. Two of the other three children are affected by the Agent Orange.

Now the life of his family is much different. After receiving support from the Party Committee and People's Committee of Dinh Ke ward, the Associations of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels, and friends, his family built a new house worth over 200 million VND (8,600 USD). 

And yet, the family was also given a reproductive cow worth more than 10 million VND by the city Red Cross Society. With 2 sao (720sq.m) of rice, Kien and his wife have focused on growing safe vegetables and peaches, earning good income.

Accompanying members

Established in 2005, the Associations of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin have developed to 230 communes, wards and township and 1,120 villages, hamlets and residential areas with more than 11,000 members. Of these, over 6,400 are AO victims receiving monthly allowances.

Leaders of the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in the province and Yen Dung district present gifts to the victims of the third generation in the district.

Than Van Nhau, Chairman of the provincial Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, said: “Returning from the war, many people had to continue the fight against poverty and diseases. Not only accompanying and encouraging the members, over the past years, the Associations of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels have also paid attention to mobilizing all social resources to help them.

In the last five years, the Associations of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels have raised nearly 100 billion VND (4.3 million USD), thereby helping 148 member families build and repair houses. In addition, they have also presented thousands of gifts, supported production facilities, and provided vocational training for members and their families.

From the practical support of the associations, many people have risen to become role models in production and association work. In addition to typical individuals such as Dang Khac Xuan and Giap Van Kien, we can also mention other members: Nguyen Van Quyet in Tinh Loc village, Nghia Trung commune (Viet Yen district); Nguyen Quang Hung in Voi township (Lang Giang district) ...

According to the leader of the provincial Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, the province is home to many families of AO victims with difficult circumstances due to two or three generations infected with toxic chemicals. In the coming time, the association will coordinate with the Party committees and authorities to continue implementing effectively the support policies of the Party and the State towards Agent Orange victims.

Along with that, it will call on organizations, businesses and individuals to join hands to share and help members ease difficulties.

VinGroup presents 4,000 gift packages to the poor and AO victims

(BGO) – Responding to the movement of “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange  (AO) Victims”, the Kind-Heart Fund (under VinGroup) mobilized 2 billion VND (over 85,800 USD) to present 4,000 gift packages (each worth 500,000 VND or 21.46 USD) to the needy cases in the upcoming Lunar New Year 2019 via the Red Cross Society (RCS) in the northern province of Bac Giang. 

Thousands of drivers commemorate victims of road traffic accident

(BGO) – Under the motto of “Commemorate the gone – For the present”, thousands of drivers in several roads in Bac Giang province at 9 am on November 18 stopped their vehicles and went down the street for a minute to commemorate the victims killed in road traffic accidents. 

Bac Giang calls for 29,000 Tet gifts to poor people and AO victims

(BGO) – Implementing the programme to support the needy cases on the Lunar New Year 2019 (Ky Hoi), the Red Cross Society (RCS) in the northern province of Bac Giang has recently launched the donation of “Tet for the poor and Agent Orange/ Dioxin victims (AO victims)”. 

Provincial leaders visit and present gifts to victims of road traffic accidents

(BGO) – Nguyen Van Linh, Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee (PPC) and Head of provincial Traffic Safety Board (TSB) on November 7 visited and encouraged two families who lost their relatives in traffic accidents in Bac Giang city. 

Japanese doctors provide medical examination and gifts to victims of Agent Orange

(BGO) – A delegation of Japanese doctors on October 19 – 20 visited the northern province of Bac Giang to provide medical examination and present gifts to local victims of Agent Orange (AO victims).

Hai Van