On a weekend morning in early June, following a heavy overnight downpour, the atmosphere in Neighborhood No.8 of Thu Duc Ward became refreshingly cooler than usual. Secretary Nguyen Huy Tuu of the Neighborhood No.8 Party Cell eagerly took the opportunity to ride his motorbike for a quick patrol around the locality.
His thoroughly familiar routine involves inspecting the drainage systems, green trees, public parks, and residential roads in the wake of every rainstorm. For Secretary Tuu, this proactive stance is a matter of profound civic duty. “I inspect the area so that if anything is abnormal, I can immediately notify the ward for a quick fix. If every stage takes a bit of responsibility, the residents won’t have to deal with the hassle,” he explained.
In Neighborhood No.8, proactive measures reportedly occur regularly. Whether addressing a snapping tree branch, flooded street, or sanitation complaint, information is swiftly relayed to localized government for early resolution.
Thu Duc Ward has fundamentally adopted a brand-new governance approach, exploring exactly how residents perceive their neighborhood’s quality of life. For twenty-year resident Chu Thi Huong Giang, community ties remain undeniable. She clearly feels the neighborhood’s profound warmth, steadfast solidarity, and civilized living environment, making her deeply eager to stick around.
According to Chairwoman Mai Thi Tuyet Trinh of the ward’s People’s Committee, Thu Duc Ward collaborated with the HCMC Institute for Development Studies to establish the Thu Duc Happy Ward Criteria Set. These standards were meticulously forged through rigorous research, drawing from global experiences, expert opinions, and tangible feedback from local citizens.
Over 6,000 households across 52 neighborhoods participated in a comprehensive survey. While the majority evaluated their lives positively, the survey revealed many folks still buckle under severe pressure from skyrocketing living costs, traffic gridlock, chronic flooding, noise pollution, lacking green spaces, and work-life imbalance. These results empower local government to pinpoint priority issues.
“We’re heavily focusing on accelerating the digital transformation and establishing ‘hot’ feedback channels via Zalo and other social networks to ruthlessly resolve urban grievances within a tight 24 to 48-hour timeframe,” the Chairwoman shared. “At the same time, we’re aggressively reforming administrative procedures, elevating the service attitude of our cadres, thoroughly reviewing public land funds to construct more parks, and tightly coordinating to fast-track the progress of vital infrastructure projects like the Ring Road 2 to definitively solve the traffic and flooding puzzles for our residents.”
It’s reported that the Thu Duc Happy Ward Criteria Set proudly features 10 distinct criteria, encompassing a massive 50 specific indicators that thoroughly cover the material demands, spiritual needs, deep-seated trust, and lofty expectations of the residents regarding their neighborhood life.
While Thu Duc Ward relies heavily on precise measurements to actively listen to its residents, over in Tan Son Hoa Ward, the local government has reportedly rolled out highly specific, tangible activities to construct their own happy ward.
For Le Thi Thanh, a local resident of Tan Son Hoa Ward, the shifting neighborhood dynamics are incredibly evident. She stated that the most crystal-clear transformation she has perceived recently is the progressively deepening bond woven throughout her community.
“I can clearly see that the neighborhood is significantly cleaner, and our communal activities feel much more intimate; people now actively check in on each other and share stories whenever they cross paths,” she explained. “Those grappling with severe hardships are continuously receiving highly prompt care and deep concern squarely from the local authorities.”
That profoundly tight-knit atmosphere is exactly what Tan Son Hoa Ward aims for by deploying the “Joining Hands to Build a Happy Tan Son Hoa Ward” model. Built upon guidelines for comprehensive human development, administrative reform, and a digital pivot, the ward orchestrated a synchronized run of five core programs. These seamlessly integrate digital government, security, public healthcare, and social welfare to drastically upgrade living standards.
According to the ward’s Party Secretary Truong Le My Ngoc, the model’s standout feature is mobilizing participation across the political system, enterprises, and everyday citizens. These meticulously interconnected programs effectively serve the public in a comprehensive manner.
Within this framework, the “Digital Government – Smart Operations” initiative heavily bolsters the vital connection between the administration and local residents via cutting-edge digital platforms. Consequently, citizens can effortlessly access strictly official information, execute public services, submit their grievances, and partake in communal activities with unprecedented convenience.
Meanwhile, the program dubbed “Safety – Drug-Free, for the Happiness of Every Family and the Peace of Every Neighborhood” is being aggressively deployed in a highly relatable and remarkably visual manner. Reportedly, drug prevention propaganda and educational hubs are strategically constructed so that locals can easily access them, fundamentally upgrading their self-defense skills against the severe perils of social evils.
Ultimately, residents can vividly perceive those highly concrete actions, and once they proactively join hands to physically build up the community where they reside, the “happy ward” concept will steadily materialize and be nurtured with profound sustainability.
