Collective spirit in face of adversity
As the momentous April 30 anniversary is approaching, in the burgeoning community of Dong Tranh 1 Hamlet (Long Hoa Commune of Can Gio District), the once-ramshackle dwellings have given way to sturdy brick homes, a testament to progress. Phan Thu Giau, a resident of Dong Tranh 1 Hamlet, shared her family’s inspiring ascent from poverty in this seaside locale.
Giau's journey from Tien Giang Province to Can Gio District two decades ago began with hardship. Facing an uncertain livelihood after marriage, she received crucial support from local commune officials and the women’s union. They offered guidance on oyster harvesting and fish cleaning, providing her with the means to earn a living. Her husband also found work in the local fishing community. Recognizing their persistent struggles, local authorities provided a mobile beverage cart and a motorboat in 2019, a turning point that gradually brought stability to their lives.
During the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Giau became a vital community figure. She actively collaborated with local officials to distribute essential supplies to residents. As a dedicated member of the Women’s Union and Head of the Fatherland Front Working Committee, her selfless efforts continued beyond the pandemic’s peak. She frequently organized support for struggling families, personally visiting homes to offer encouragement, practical help, and guidance, empowering many women to overcome poverty.
Her story adds new chapters to the city’s ongoing narrative of ‘nghia tinh’ (compassion), a spirit deeply intertwined with the legacy of the person it has been named after – President Ho Chi Minh.
In the aftermath of April 30, 1975, HCMC grappled with a significant challenge. Over 30 percent of its population lived below the poverty line. In early 1992, the city boldly launched the Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction program, the precursor to the current Sustainable Poverty Reduction program.
This initiative strategically focused on three key pillars
- providing crucial financial aid to impoverished households;
- guiding them in diversifying their agricultural practices and establishing small-scale production and service cooperatives;
- implementing preferential policies to facilitate vocational training for the poor.
Today, HCMC has essentially eradicated extreme poverty based on its own urban poverty standards, significantly exceeding the poverty reduction targets set forth by the 11th HCMC Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term.
Ever-expanding circle of compassion
HCMC has consistently been at the forefront of numerous movements, programs, and acts embodying profound humanitarian values. The city’s collective memory will forever hold the intense struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic – a period marked by profound sorrow, loss, and tears that permeated countless homes and alleyways.
During those challenging times, the city’s volunteer artist team, comprising dedicated performers and creatives, selflessly risked their health and lives to join the city’s fight against the pandemic. Their practical contributions were manifold, such as donating to the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund; providing care and support to residents in quarantined and locked-down areas; transporting essential goods to pandemic response centers and isolation facilities; assisting quarantined individuals with grocery shopping; and creating powerful artistic works that offered encouragement and motivation to frontline workers and the wider community.
Singer Nguyen Phi Hung emotionally recalled, “During those difficult days, despite the numerous challenges, the city never lost its unwavering faith, and the people showed each other immense care and support. Here in my city, I witnessed something truly remarkable: the power of goodness and compassionate acts multiplying and spreading with each passing day.”
In late 2024, HCMC dwellers stood in solidarity with the rest of the nation, extending their support to their fellow citizens in the Northern region affected by Typhoon No. 3 (Typhoon Yagi). Artists, organizations, businesses, collectives, and individuals shared in the pain of their brothers and sisters, directing their heartfelt contributions towards the people of the North through numerous practical and deeply meaningful acts of kindness.
Assoc Prof Dr Truong Thi Hien, President of the HCMC Association of Female Intellectuals, emphatically affirmed that ‘nghia tinh’ is a defining and prominent characteristic of HCMC. This spirit of solidarity and compassion is the core value that has enabled the city to heal the wounds of war and propel its economic, cultural, and social development.
“Houses of gratitude”, sustained poverty eradication efforts, and canal renewal projects demonstrate HCMC’s commitment to its residents’ well-being. Initiatives like “Rice ATMs” and “Zero-Dong Supermarkets” during the Covid-19 pandemic further exemplified this compassion and fostered a strong sense of community and unity within the city.
Standing Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Trung of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee – HCMC Branch, said that the city consistently allocates resources to respond to and support less developed provinces, mountainous regions, border areas, and islands. Many residents and businesses, through the “For Beloved Truong Sa - For the Fatherland’s Frontline” Fund, now known as the “For the Homeland’s Sea and Islands - For the Fatherland’s Frontline” Fund, have made significant contributions towards Vietnam’s borders, seas, and islands.
Throughout the city’s development journey, social welfare activities have consistently paralleled economic growth. Social security policies prioritize the interests of the people above all else, guided by the overarching principle of “leaving no one behind”. This is particularly evident in the continuous cultivation of the traditions of solidarity and compassion within the community, especially during the severe challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Developing specific policies to care for, support individuals with meritorious services
HCMC currently manages over 279,000 records of individuals with meritorious services to the nation, disbursing monthly allowances to 34,746 individuals at a total cost exceeding VND73 billion (US$2.8 million) per month.
In addition to fully and promptly implementing the Central Government’s policies, the city has also enacted numerous specific mechanisms and policies to provide dedicated care and support to those who have rendered invaluable service to the revolution.
The city has successfully mobilized over VND188 billion ($7.3 million) to establish a gratitude and repayment fund, significantly improving the material and spiritual well-being of policy families. Furthermore, the city ensures that all surviving Heroic Vietnamese Mothers receive dedicated care and support from designated organizations.
HCMC’s comprehensive social policies increasingly synchronize poverty reduction, employment, social insurance, veteran support, and access to services. Annually, over 140,000 jobs are created, keeping urban unemployment below 4 percent, while effectively supporting poor households and exceeding poverty reduction targets.
