A project to document the lives of Vietnamese heroic mothers has been launched to express gratitude to the heroic mothers and preserve valuable lessons for the future generations who have little knowledge of the past historic national struggle.
The Southern Women's Museum coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Union and the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to document the works of Vietnamese heroic mothers whose husbands, sons and daughters were killed in the wars for national liberation.
Since 1994 to 2010, the country has listed more than 50,000 heroic mothers. The city has documented 2,086 mothers but some 183 mothers are still alive today.
The silent contribution of these mothers towards national liberation is an eternal sacrifice as they had willingly sacrificed their husbands and children for the country, many of whom became martyrs.
As time went by, many heroic mothers passed away while others faced old age. The memories of these mothers will bring alive the nations glorious past history and the traditions of Vietnamese women that were exemplified by president Ho Chi Minh.
Vu Kim Anh, deputy director of HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, is the prime mover behind this project. She said that the government awarded heroic mothers and acknowledged their considerable contribution to the national struggle.
The project would educate future generations not only of the sacrifices of heroic mothers, which are our traditional national heritage, but also document the heroic details of incidents in history that could be recorded for posterity, she added.
The Southern Women's Museum will assemble photos, keepsakes and relevant documents of the lives of heroic mothers. The museum has already collected some mementos and taken pictures of 200 mothers.
The museum will upload all documents onto a website for research and study work. Information will be arranged systematically to help readers to easily access data when required.
The project, currently underway in Cu Chi district of HCMC where 66 heroic mothers are living, will support mothers who are living in poverty and without care by relatives.
Photos and other items will be displayed at an exhibition in the city later this year while commemorating the 67th anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22).
