Vietnam Promotes 'Repaying Kindness' During Memorial Month: Social Welfare as Cornerstone of Nation Building

In Vietnam, July has become a month of gratitude, dedicated to remembering and expressing thanks to past generations who sacrificed their lives for the nation's independence and freedom. This tradition, deeply rooted in the Vietnamese culture with the saying "When drinking water, remember its source" (Uống nước nhớ nguồn), sees the entire nation honoring their ancestors through practical actions. These acts of remembrance extend beyond mere memorial ceremonies or gifts to families of martyrs and war heroes; they are sustained, regular, and meaningful efforts. The Party and State prioritize policies for those who have rendered service to the nation, considering them paramount among all social welfare initiatives. In the Southeastern provinces, numerous meaningful activities are being carried out to embody this spirit. In Ho Chi Minh City, caring for over 350,000 individuals recognized for their contributions and their relatives is viewed not just as an implementation of social security policy, but as a political responsibility and a measure of civilized and humane development. Alongside fulfilling state preferential treatment policies, the city mobilizes the entire political system, the business community, social organizations, and all strata of the people to further enhance the quality of life for these individuals and their families. Ahead of the 79th anniversary of the Day for Martyrs and War Heroes (July 27), the city has outlined a comprehensive plan, allocating over 154 billion VND (approximately $6.5 million USD) from the state budget for visits and gift-giving to deserving families. In Tay Ninh province, a historic revolutionary base, efforts to care for war heroes are also being implemented through various meaningful programs. During the 79th anniversary, the province visited and provided financial assistance to 350 individuals with special difficulties. Furthermore, over 27 billion VND (approximately $1.1 million USD) has been allocated for building and repairing homes for 288 households of martyrs and their relatives. The province is also mobilizing socialized resources to support disadvantaged families, aiming for all such households to achieve a living standard equal to or higher than the community average by the end of 2026. In Dong Nai city, effective measures are in place to care for the material and spiritual well-being of war heroes and their families. 100% of eligible individuals receive full and timely preferential benefits. In addition to ensuring the standard preferential allowances stipulated by the central government, the city promotes programs honoring Vietnamese mothers (Mẹ Việt Nam Anh hùng), caring for policy beneficiary families, and undertaking the maintenance of martyrs' cemeteries, as well as cooperating in the collection and identification of remains of martyrs with missing information. The city is currently focused on a thorough review and accurate statistical compilation of needs for new construction and repairs of housing for war heroes and martyrs' relatives to effectively implement the program. To make the care for war heroes more comprehensive and substantive, local authorities will continue to research and perfect mechanisms and policies suitable for actual development conditions. Simultaneously, they will accelerate the application of digital transformation to standardize and digitize the database of war heroes, thereby speeding up the disbursement of allowances, managing records, and implementing policies more accurately and with fewer errors. Beyond state budgets, localities will maximally mobilize socialized resources from businesses, social organizations, and communities to create sustainable sources of care. Together with the entire country, the Southeastern provinces are demonstrating the highest political determination to effectively implement the "500-day and 500-night campaign to accelerate the search, collection, and identification of martyrs' remains." Source: Nhan Dan