Busy monks

In order to gather additional resources in support of local authorities’ programs for community development, monks and nuns encouraged Buddhist followers inside and outside the district to donate a sum of 7.5 billion VND for construction of local transport systems and building of cultural and charitable houses for locals, thus contributing to meet standards of the new rural countryside in the localities. 

It’s reported that in previous years, Venerable Thích Thanh Huỳnh, Abbot of Phuc Son pagoda in Hai Trung commune of Hai Hai district, Chairman of Executive Committee of the district Vietnam Buddhist Sangha raised  and contributed over three billion VND to the movement for building new rural areas. Besides, the Venerable together with monks and nuns in Phuc Son pagoda sponsored nearly 30 elders and children confronting special difficulties.

Venerable Thích Thanh Huỳnh shared that with awareness of purpose and meaning of building the new rural countryside, for over three years, monks and nuns in the district have collaborated closely with local authorities by encouraging Buddhists and locals to carry out practical activities for communities, such as supporting the building of local infrastructure, taking care of the poor, protecting the environment…

Visiting Que Phuong pagoda in Hai Tay commune and meeting Venerable Thích Thanh Cần, Abbot of the pagoda, we still felt his enthusiasm for a social project. The Venerable informed that his wish of building a sponsoring center will be soon realized because Hai Tay commune authority agreed to allocate a large area for him and his colleagues to implement the project. According to the Venerable, the center, when completed, will take care of all people under special circumstances, including the elderly, the disabled and orphanage children.  

On a concrete road of from four to five meters wide recently completed from a contribution of 100 tons of cement raised in part by his effort, Venerable Thích Thanh Cần said “Seeing locals eagerly and happily implementing the construction of the road and later organizing a party for its inauguration, I feel very happy because my small deed contributed to motivate and reinforce the solidarity in the local community”.

“Beauty to the village, parish, home and farm”

This is a campaign launched by the Committee for Catholic Solidarity of Nam Dinh province and implemented for over three years in response to the movement for building a new countryside. Accounting for over 40% of the district population, Catholics in Hai Hau district have conducted practical   activities in support of this campaign. According to statistics of Hai Hau district Committee for Catholic Solidarity, in over three previous years, the local Catholics voluntarily donated and made land-exchange for a total of nearly 400 ha, removed thousands of facilities, contributed hundreds of billion VND and thousands of working days to build roads, cultural houses and another works serving local livelihood.

On a nearly one km concrete road of five meter wide crossing through Hai Dien parish completed recently, Chairman of Hai Dong commune Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee Hoàng Văn Mạnh shared “This is a work built by strength of solidarity”. He said the total cost for this road was up to 1.2 billion VND and the local budget for it was 700 million VND. With his responsibility and prestige, priest Trần Văn Thiết of Hai Dien parish called for donations from many individuals and organizations and raised a sum of 500 million VND to contribute to construction of this road, which was completed in early October this year.

 Source: daidaonket.vn