Farmers aged 60 are repairing the local road. Photo baoangiang.com.vn

AN GIANG — In Vĩnh Trinh Hamlet of An Giang Province, a quiet team of elderly farmers has spent years repairing minor damage to rural roads and bridges, ensuring residents can travel safely. Many of the volunteers are over 60, yet they are driven by community spirit and a deep love for their homeland.

At noon, under scorching sunshine, the concrete road running through Vĩnh Trinh Hamlet radiates heat, making many people reluctant to step outside. Yet in one corner of the countryside, the sounds of mixing concrete, chiselling road surfaces and spreading cement still ring out, the familiar rhythms of elderly farmers filling potholes to restore smooth passage along their village roads.

Trần Văn Đấu, a resident of Vĩnh Trinh Hamlet, voluntarily joins the work in the hope of improving travel for local people, especially ensuring pupils’ safety during the rainy season.

“I am a farmer, and this kind of work is fairly light and does not take much time, so I see it as a chance to keep myself healthy,” Đấu told baoangiang.com.vn. He has been part of the team since its early days and continues to participate regularly whenever the team leader announces repairs.

“My family supports what I do. More importantly, through this work, I feel happy knowing that I am making a small but practical contribution to the land where I was born and raised,” he said.

According to Lê Văn Bul, head of the bridge and road repair team, the group received an official establishment decision from Vĩnh Thuận Commune in 2023, though it has operated informally since 2020. The team has 25 members, the oldest being 62, all working on a voluntary basis.

“Every day, while going to the fields or running errands, team members or local residents notice sections of rural roads or bridges that have deteriorated or suffered minor damage and report them to us. We conduct surveys, then report to the local authorities and carry out repairs,” Bul said.

Each year, the team carries out three to four repair rounds, depending on the number of potholes or damaged bridges. Repair costs are covered by contributions from team members and donations mobilised from family members, relatives and local residents.

“Local building material shops, pagodas and others are always willing to provide materials. Wherever the team works, nearby residents join in, contributing labour days, so the work is always completed earlier than planned. Some households even cook meals for us, which is truly heart-warming,” Bul said.

The team is not only composed of elderly farmers. Many young people also participate. Phan Thành Hệ, a team member, said: “Seeing how meaningful the work of the uncles and elders is, I wanted to contribute a bit of my own effort. Joining the team helps me learn a strong sense of responsibility towards the community and homeland, along with life experience and farming know-how during break times. I have learned many things and grown more mature through participating.”

Residents appreciate the effort.

Lê Kiều Hạnh said: “What the members of the minor bridge and road repair team in the hamlet do is truly meaningful. They work not for wages or recognition, but out of goodwill. Thanks to them, rural roads and bridges are safer.”

Phan Văn Nhân, the hamlet’s head, described the team as a bridge connecting the community. Even on rainy days when roads are flooded, members persist in working until late in the evening.

“What these elderly farmers do is both persistent and practical. Thanks to their hands, students travel to school more safely, elderly people cross bridges with peace of mind and agricultural produce is transported more smoothly,” Nhân said.

“The rural roads of the commune are not only repaired with concrete, but also reinforced by neighbourhood solidarity and a voluntary spirit for the community."

“The image of volunteer elderly farmers repairing roads and bridges has become a spiritual anchor for the community. It is vivid proof that good people and good deeds grow from pure intentions and deep love for one’s homeland, an invaluable asset that deserves to be cherished, spread and preserved,” said Huỳnh Ngọc Nguyên, chairman of the Vĩnh Thuận Commune People’s Committee. VNS