Labour Hero Trần Mạnh Báo, chairman of the board of directors of ThaiBinh Seed (left). — Photo baodautu.vn

HÀ NỘI — For the Vietnamese, May 19 is an occasion for individuals to respectfully commemorate President Hồ Chí Minh through practical actions that benefit society.

Studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle has increasingly permeated social life, as good deeds and meaningful actions have become regular and continuous, creating a positive influence across society.

The implementation of Politburo Directive No. 05-CT/TW dated May 15, 2016, on 'Promoting the study and following of President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle' has brought about clear changes in public awareness, thinking and actions.

In his article 'Uncle Hồ Still Marches With Us', written on the occasion of the 135th anniversary of President Hồ Chí Minh’s birth (May 19, 1890 – May 19, 2025), Party General Secretary Tô Lâm said: “We need to learn from Uncle Hồ every day from great ideals to the smallest acts, from lofty aspirations to everyday conduct and concrete deeds.”

Responding to the Party chief’s message and actively implementing Directive No. 05-CT/TW, many effective models, innovative approaches and exemplary individuals have emerged nationwide in various fields.

Among them is Labour Hero Trần Mạnh Báo, chairman of the board of directors of ThaiBinh Seed.

Driven by his deep love for rice cultivation, he demonstrated that Vietnamese people can develop their own rice varieties – the seeds symbolising national dignity and pride in line with President Hồ Chí Minh’s teachings.

Like many young men of his generation, Báo left school in 1968 to join the military and fought on multiple battlefields for national liberation.

After peace was restored, he returned to his hometown as a war invalid.

More than half a century of dedication and perseverance helped him rise from a manual labourer in the fields to a leading entrepreneur.

In 2020, he was awarded the title of Labour Hero in the đổi mới (renewal) period for his contributions. Together with ThaiBinh Seed, he achieved remarkable successes that helped transform Vietnamese agriculture and contributed to regional and international agricultural development.

He also became known for his passion for scientific research, leading 12 state-level research projects and creating 15 nationally copyrighted rice varieties.

He said the establishment and growth of ThaiBinh Seed were closely linked to President Hồ Chí Minh’s advice during his fifth visit to Thái Bình Province on December 31, 1966, when the province first achieved a rice yield of five tonnes per hectare.

During a meeting with local officials and residents, the President stressed the importance of irrigation, fertiliser and good seeds to increase rice productivity.

Following his teachings, ThaiBinh Seed has strived to provide high-quality crop varieties to farmers, build production models, apply science and technology and strengthen effective linkages.

The company has become not only a leading enterprise in the seed sector, but also a symbol of innovation and creativity in Vietnamese agriculture.

Inspired by President Hồ Chí Minh’s teaching that 'every good person and every good deed is a beautiful flower, and our whole nation is a beautiful forest of flowers', officials, Party members and people nationwide have actively emulated one another in doing good deeds.

Many exemplary individuals have emerged, contributing more 'flowers' to the nation’s garden of dedication.

For Điểu K’Đốt, an ethnic S’tiêng man, Party cell secretary and head of Hamlet 3 in Cát Tiên 2 Commune, Lâm Đồng Province, studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh’s teachings has become a guiding principle throughout his career.

Over the years, he and local Party members have visited households to encourage crop conversion, replacing aging and low-yield cashew trees with more profitable durian, coffee and grafted cashew varieties.

Beyond helping residents improve livelihoods and escape poverty, he has actively campaigned to eliminate outdated customs in funerals, prolonged mourning and wedding practices, promoting a more civilised lifestyle.

He has also mobilised residents to participate in rural development by contributing labour to road construction, installing streetlights and planting flowers and trees along village roads.

Leading by example, he has engaged in production activities and community work.

When the village received investment for a clean water project, he and his family voluntarily donated 252 square meters of land for its construction, while also encouraging local residents to contribute land, labour and financial support.

He said that wherever he is and whatever work he does, he always absorbs and follows President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle to fulfil his duties more effectively.

Youth bringing honour to the nation

Among younger generations, thousands of young entrepreneurs, volunteers and outstanding youths are striving to strengthen their resilience, nurture aspirations to contribute and live with ideals and ambitions to help build a prosperous and happy Việt Nam as President Hồ Chí Minh wished.

Following President Hồ Chí Minh’s teachings, Võ Quang Dũng, general director of SMART Media, was one of 11 representatives of the Government Youth Union attending the eighth National Congress of Advanced Youth Following Uncle Hồ’s Teachings in 2025.

The recognition marked an important milestone in the journey of the young man from Hà Tĩnh Province in studying and following the President’s example.

Võ Quang Dũng, general director of SMART Media. received the 'Advanced Youth Following Uncle Hồ’s Teachings' badge. — Photo courtesy of Quang Dũng

Dũng had earlier participated in the 'Uncle Hồ’s Good Children' Congress in Hà Tĩnh and continuously strived for self-improvement, eventually becoming a Party member during his school years.

He has represented Vietnamese youth at numerous international forums, including the second ASEAN+3 Youth Forum in Việt Nam in 2011, the ASEAN Youth Leaders Conference in Thailand in 2012, the ASEAN-India Youth Exchange Program in India in 2012, the Model ASEM Conference in France in 2016, the Yowunpura International Youth Exchange in Sri Lanka in 2018 and ASEAN youth scholarship programs in Singapore and Laos in 2024.

He said receiving the badge honouring advanced youth following Uncle Hồ’s teachings was an emotional and unforgettable moment.

He expressed his desire to contribute his youth and energy to building a more prosperous homeland and helping Việt Nam stand shoulder to shoulder with world powers, as President Hồ Chí Minh had envisioned.

For many young people, studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh is also reflected through dedication, pioneering spirit and innovation.

The story of Nguyễn Tất Thắng from Hà Giang 2 Ward in Tuyên Quang Province has inspired admiration.

Selected as a representative speaker at the 'Hồ Chí Minh – Journey of Aspiration' programme in northern Việt Nam, he established a YouTube channel featuring 2,947 videos and attracting 548,000 subscribers from 47 countries and territories.

His videos vividly portray the land and people of the Đồng Văn Karst Plateau and promote historical relics, scenic sites and the cultural identities of ethnic groups. Through digital technology and social media, he has helped bring stories of life in remote mountainous areas to audiences across Việt Nam and beyond national borders.

For him, studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle is not merely about awareness or slogans, but about turning them into concrete actions, responsibility and dedication in even the smallest tasks.

His devotion to the community and ethnic minority people earned him recognition in 2025 from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation for outstanding achievements in studying and following Hồ Chí Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle. — VNS