Officials from the Red Cross Society in Thanh Miện District, Hải Dương Province, present a new house to a local family. — VNA/VNS Photo

HẢI DƯƠNG — Standing in her new house, Nguyễn Thị Bích, a woman from Tứ Cường Commune, Thanh Miện District, Hải Dương Province, was over the moon.

In 2019, she was presented with a new house by the provincial Red Cross Society (RCS) after many years living in poor conditions.

She is one of hundreds of poor households which have received support from the provincial Red Cross Society over the past five years.

RCS built and donated more than 100 houses to 103 poor families in Thanh Miện district in 2019, with total investment of VNĐ13.5 billion (over US$596,800).

For each newly-built house, 50 per cent of the total cost is from RCS's fund and the remainder from the locality and other sources.

Statistics from the local Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs shows that there are over 2,000 poor and near-poor people in Thanh Miện District, over 1,000 Agent Orange and dioxin victims, and over 2,600 people with disabilities and 279 lonely elderly people.

"Families are very happy when they are presented with a new house. Their happiness is also our happiness," said Vũ Thị Vân Anh, vice president of Thanh Miện District's Red Cross Society. 

RCS has worked with local authorities and called on support from other sources to build houses for the poor families, Anh said.

During the 2016-21 period, Hải Dương Province's RCS called on businesses and benefactors to build 307 new houses and repair 27 homes for families living in disadvantaged circumstances, worth over VNĐ23.4 billion ($1 million). 

Vũ Nguyên Đăng, an official from the provincial RCS, said: "In the past five years, the agency has mobilised more than VNĐ154 billion ($6.8 million) from locals and donors to help over 290,000 people." 

The RCS's efforts have brightened up the lives of many poor people.

The agency will strengthen and effectively implement humanitarian programmes to increase the support for disadvantaged people in the province, Đăng said. — VNS