The team repairing a road in Ngã Bảy City, Hậu Giang Province. — Photo atgt.baogiaothong.vn

HẬU GIANG — For the past six years, a team in the southern province of Hậu Giang has been quietly working without pay, repairing roads and installing street lights to ensure the safety of their community.

Having had enough of seeing people falling off their motorbikes on damaged roads, Trần Hoài Hận and Nguyễn Văn Tiến, both living in Tân Thành Commune, Ngã Bảy City, founded the team in 2018 to make travel safer for everyone.

Whenever they spot a damaged road, they ask the local authorities for the go-ahead to repair it. Upon getting approval, Tiến then raises funds for the project and transports materials to the site, while Hận is in charge of organising the team.

Over the past six years, they have repaired hundreds of kilometres of roads and illuminated over 30km of roadway in the city. Their selfless efforts have inspired many people to join their ranks. Now the team has 20 members.

They work for free and often chip in to buy materials, but they are always in good spirits as their top priority is to ensure everyone can travel safely.

"I've been a member since the team started. As long as I'm able, I'll keep contributing. I'll only stop when my health fails me," said senior member Huỳnh Văn Đùm.

The team was in the middle of repairing a road in the rural hamlet of Đông An II A when a reporter arrived for their interview. Hận proudly introduced every team member, with his hands moving swiftly to patch up a pothole.

"The one hosing down the road is Huỳnh Văn Chành, 63, head of the hamlet, while the one mixing the mortar is Huỳnh Văn Đùm, 74," Hận told the reporter.

The increasing traffic volume had left the road in a bad state, with numerous potholes, sinkholes and cracks. As the rainy season began, parents were worried about their children's safety on this piece of road.

But worries soon dissipated as the team, with the help of local residents, quickly restored the road to its former condition.

"When I heard that the team was here fixing the road in our hamlet, I knew I had to pitch in. It's important to have a safe road for ourselves and our families," said Lê Quốc Việt, a 73-year-old resident.

As for Tiến, he is also known as a pioneer in the charity movement. Since 2018, he has run a charity kitchen that serves about a hundred meals daily for people in poverty.

Not only that, he has also raised funds to build more than 20 homes for the homeless and donated a vehicle for free medical transportation within his community.

Despite the occasional criticism of 'minding one's own business', the team remains undeterred. Their greatest joy comes from knowing that their community is safe and free from damaged roads.

"All I hope for is good health so I can continue this meaningful work," said Tiến.

Chairman of Ngã Bảy City People's Committee Lê Hoàng Xuyên expressed his gratitude for their road patching and lighting initiatives, which are instrumental in ensuring road safety during the rainy season and facilitating the transportation of goods.

"I recently held a meeting with the team. I took the opportunity to express my appreciation and encourage their hard work," said the chairman. — VNS