The Ninh Bình Provincial Fatherland Front Committee and benefactors inaugurated a house for poor household. —  Photo baoninhbinh.org.vn

NINH BÌNH — Northern Ninh Bình Province’s authorities have made great efforts in hunger eradication and poverty reduction to reach a poverty rate of about 2 per cent and a near-poor household rate of 3 per cent by the end of last year.

The province has mobilised the community's support to build houses for the impoverished, with thousands of houses provided for underprivileged families last year.

Nguyễn Thị Hải's family in Khánh Cư Commune, Yên Khánh District, was very happy to have a new house three weeks before Tết.

The 60sq.m house was built at a cost of VNĐ240 million (US$10,400), of which, VNĐ40 million came from the local social fund, some from Hải’s savings and the rest from local people’s contributions.

"After getting the concrete house, we will work to develop our family's economy. I am very happy and hope many families in difficult circumstances will be helped," said Hải.

Sharing the same joy as Hải's family was the 40-year-old woman Nguyễn Thị Khuyên, residing in Yên Mạc Commune, Yên Mô District. The mother of three was happy to welcome the Lunar New Year in a new house,  instead of her old, degraded house.

“Every time the rainy season came, I worried about the safety of my family,” she said.

Her family built a house worth VNĐ150 million with the help of the local Fatherland Front Committee (which provided VNĐ70 million), authorities and donors.

Phạm Thị Hằng, Chairwoman of the communal Fatherland Front Committee, said local authorities paid attention to community-supported programmes on wiping out dilapidated houses and building new houses for needy families.

Local authorities have re-checked the list of poor households to provide timely support, and at the same time called for contributions from donors and social organisations.

“The local Fatherland Front Committee last year acted as an effective bridge between donors to build houses for poor households,” said Hằng.

“We know that having a stable house, poor families will have conditions and peace of mind to improve their works and stabilise lives."

Via the “gratitude and social security" fund, the Ninh Bình Provincial  Fatherland Front Committee has called for contributions from the whole of society to build houses for poor families.

Last year, Ninh Bình Provincial Fatherland Front Committee spent VNĐ15.9 billion from the gratitude and social security fund to help local people build 255 houses.

Chairman of the provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Đỗ Việt Anh, said despite the results achieved, the province still faced many difficulties in mobilising financial resources and checking the number of needy households.

The province aims to achieve the goal of having no dilapidated, damaged or temporary houses this year. —  VNS