Top 6 Exemplars of Extraordinary Kindness

The revered father figure of the Vietnamese nation once said, 'Our nation is a nation rich in compassion,' and he himself embodies the noble spirit of kindness of the Vietnamese people. Ho Chi Minh's compassion and benevolence stem from his principle of 'caring for the people's well-being before one's own' and dedicating himself to all beings, regardless of region, age, or gender. His heart embraces all Vietnamese people who love their country, regardless of their background, and they all have a place in his heart and his compassionate spirit.

Uncle Ho's kindness is inseparable from his love for the country and the people, his sympathy and sharing with the unfortunate, and his dedication to fulfilling the wishes and desires of the people. He clearly stated the goals of the state: 'First, ensure that the people have enough to eat. Second, ensure that the people have enough to wear. Third, ensure that the people have housing. Fourth, ensure that the people have access to education.'

Uncle Ho's kindness and dedication to humanity are not limited to the Vietnamese people but extend to all humanity in need. During the arduous years of seeking ways to save the country, he shed tears witnessing countless scenes of poverty and begging on the streets; French colonialists forcing black laborers to jump into the sea to drown under the waves...

He is one of the shining examples of kindness, an icon of compassion, tolerance, and generosity towards those who make mistakes or have shortcomings. He once said, 'Fingers may be short or long, but they all fit together on the hand. Among millions of people, some are like this, some are like that, but all are descendants of our ancestors. Therefore, we must be generous. Towards our lost and wandering compatriots, we must use affection to guide them.' Towards the enemy, in a letter to the French, he wrote, 'Before compassion, whether it's French blood or Vietnamese blood, whether they're French or Vietnamese, they are all people.' That's why Uncle Ho was able to win over intellectuals, officials of the old regime, and even the enemy, who devoted themselves to the revolution, fighting to save the country alongside the entire people.

Even though the pandemic has passed, it is during difficult times that we see people treat each other with great compassion. Vietnam has faced many challenges, from storms to the COVID-19 outbreaks. In addition to the support from government authorities, within the community, with the spirit of 'mutual affection' and 'helping one another', many individuals, organizations, and philanthropists have been actively involved in volunteer work, hoping that a little help from many can help families overcome difficulties. These practical, meaningful, and compassionate actions make us feel the warmth of human kindness.

Warm meals filled with love, small gifts of daily necessities, hand sanitizer, masks, or just a few kilograms of rice sent to street vendors, or poor workers; Friendly landlords reduce rent; 'Rice ATMs' full of compassion; cash gifts or medical supplies, healthcare items, free meals, 'zero-dong markets'... are appearing more and more. Many nurses and doctors have bravely faced challenges, volunteering to fight against the pandemic to bring life back to normal for the people.

When there was a call to support the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, millions of people united to support it, and some units and businesses were willing to donate hundreds of billion dong.

In difficult times, the love and sharing of the Vietnamese people are more clearly and deeply expressed than ever. These extended arms of love and genuine compassion have formed a great unity, helping our nation overcome the challenges of the pandemic.

Teacher Tran Thi Thanh Hoa - Principal of Sao Mai Kindergarten, Tú Nang commune, Yen Chau district, Son La province, is also one of the shining examples of compassion loved by the people. Not only dedicated to her profession, she is also a friendly bridge between the school and parents, with charity delegations bringing many practical and meaningful charity works, especially to a mountainous area, where it holds greater significance.

These teachers devote their entire lives to imparting knowledge to children in remote areas. They cross streams and forests. Not only teaching the children, they also act as a bridge between volunteers and families to share difficulties, donating pens and books so that the children can continue to attend school.

It's the story of compassion of Mr. Duong Hong Quy who had to be hospitalized for emergency treatment due to a brain blood vessel disease. After being examined and diagnosed by doctors at Bach Mai Hospital, knowing that he might not survive, he told his family members about his wish to donate organs to help others. Then, fate intervened, and he fell into a deep coma. The medical team spared no effort in treatment but to no avail. Fulfilling his wish, his wife - Mrs. Hoang Thanh Phuong - and family contacted the Red Cross of Ninh Binh province and the National Organ Coordination Center to donate Mr. Quy's organs for medical purposes. Upon receiving the information, the National Organ Coordination Center coordinated with Bach Mai Hospital to bring Mr. Quy to Viet Duc Hospital to carry out this precious organ donation and transplant. Mr. Duong Hong Quy donated his lungs, heart, liver, and two kidneys to those awaiting organ transplants.

At Viet Duc Hospital, his lungs were transplanted to a 17-year-old male patient in the final stage of lung cancer; his heart was transplanted to a 60-year-old male patient in the final stage of heart failure, at high risk of death; his liver was transplanted to a 63-year-old female patient with liver cancer; one kidney was transplanted to a 41-year-old male patient in the final stage of kidney failure; and the other kidney was transferred to Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City) to be transplanted into a 15-year-old child. The miraculous happened. All six patients, in dire circumstances and with their lives hanging by a thread, suddenly found new life thanks to Mr. Quy's organ donation. On December 26, 2018, Viet Duc Hospital successfully used Mr. Quy's blood vessels (stored at the hospital's tissue bank) to connect blood vessels for a complex liver transplant surgery. This was also the first time in Vietnamese medicine that a complete organ donation case was recorded. In appreciation of this noble gesture, on January 2, 2019, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien awarded Mr. Duong Hong Quy the Medal for People's Health.

Previously, Lieutenant Colonel Le Hai Ninh, 45 years old, in Yen Mo district (Ninh Binh province); Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khiem, 30 years old, in Hung Ha district (Thai Binh province); engineer Nguyen Xuan Hai, 37 years old, in Hai Ba Trung district (Hanoi); Nguyen Van Nhi, 12 years old, in Ba Dinh district (Hanoi), and Nguyen Hai An, 7 years old, in Nam Tu Liem district (Hanoi) also wrote touching stories of their noble act of donating parts of their bodies to prolong others' lives. After being declared brain dead, Lieutenant Colonel Le Hai Ninh donated his heart, lungs, two kidneys, and two corneas; Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Khiem donated his heart, liver, two kidneys, and two corneas; engineer Nguyen Xuan Hai donated two kidneys and two corneas. Both Van Nhi and Hai An donated their corneas after passing away.

It can be said that this is a shining example of profound compassion and humanity. Although they departed while still very young, they lived a noble and fulfilled life. Their departure is not a return to dust, but a rebirth of life. They have created fairy tales in real life, inspiring the whole society with the powerful message that 'giving is eternal'.

At 30 ô chợ Dừa in Hanoi, there's a beef noodle soup shop owned by Châu Ngọc Diệp. Every Friday morning, he hosts the “1000 Dong Noodle Bowl” program for the poor, including homeless people, laborers... What's special is that the noodle bowl still contains all the usual ingredients like beef shank, beef, onions, usually priced at several tens of thousands of dong.

His action is an expression of love and compassion. The 1000 dong price tag is merely symbolic, as the meal is completely free. Thanks to his good deeds, we witness the smiles of hardworking laborers, the sparkling eyes of innocent children, the gratitude of beggars who haven't had anything to eat for days. One bowl of his noodles can save a life on the brink, starving and thirsty to exhaustion.

His actions stem from sincerity and empathy for those less fortunate, without any selfish motives or seeking personal gain. Therefore, he is greatly supported, respected, and is a worthy role model to be honored. His program, though small, has promoted and spread love to everyone in the community.

It's about three beauty queens Tiểu Vy, Đỗ Mỹ Linh, and Lương Thùy Linh who all made it to the top humanitarian beauty queens when participating in the most prestigious beauty pageants in the world.

Miss Đỗ Mỹ Linh: She made it to the top 40, won the Head to Head challenge in group 18 and especially in the Miss World 2017 final night, Đỗ Mỹ Linh became the first representative from Vietnam to win the Beauty with a Purpose title with the project “Bringing electricity to the village”.

The project was implemented in Cu Vai hamlet, Xà Hồ commune, Trạm Tấu district, a remote district of Yên Bái province where people have never seen the light of electricity. This is also one of the poorest hamlets in the country.

Miss Hà Thành recounted that at the time of arrival in Trạm Tấu, she encountered many dangers from the impact of storm No. 8 accompanied by floods. To reach Cu Vai hamlet, she had to walk 4 kilometers of muddy roads for 4 hours. The only road leading to the hamlet was severely eroded, and the phone signal was cut off, causing her and the crew to be trapped for 7 days. She could not forget the days she lived with the people, only eating plain rice and salted bamboo shoots.

Đỗ Mỹ Linh said that it was precisely because of those authentic experiences, her project 'Bringing electricity to the village' brought to Miss World 2017 competition moved the judges. And the achievement is one of 5 beauties awarded the title of 'Beauty with a Purpose' as a deserving reward for Đỗ Mỹ Linh's efforts and perseverance in the journey to help improve the lives of people in highland areas.

Miss Tiểu Vy: Crowned when she was only 18, Tiểu Vy carried the responsibility of representing Vietnam on the world's largest beauty stage - Miss World 2018. Tiểu Vy's efforts were rewarded when she made it to the top 5 of the most important rounds, including Beauty with a Purpose, and entered the top 30 overall. Specifically, Miss Trần Tiểu Vy brought a very meaningful and urgent project to Bản Nịu commune, one of the remote and difficult areas of Vietnam. It's the project “Water Journey”. “Water Journey” is not only a project within the framework of Miss World, but also becomes a mission, a never-ending volunteer journey of Tiểu Vy in the future.

Miss Lương Thùy Linh: Continuing Vietnam's success for many consecutive years, the humanitarian project 'Paving roads, building dreams' of Miss Lương Thùy Linh officially entered the Top 10 best humanitarian projects at Miss World 2019.