A 14-year-old boy who self sacrificed himself to rescue his friends, a pregnant railway worker who rescued a baby, a rubbish collector who gave back $2,000… are good examples reported on the local media in 2011.

1. Brave boys

Pham Quang Vinh.

On August 6, on his way back home, Pham Quang Vinh, 14, in Binh Thanh commune, Duc Trong district, the central highland province of Lam Dong, saw four children who were reaching up their hands in the middle of a deep hole. Vinh immediately plunged himself to the hole to draw each of kid to the shore. 

Vinh, a 7 grade student, has been praised as a hero. The local youth organization rewarded the boy’s braveness.

Tran Van Nguyen, also 14, in the central province of Quang Ngai self sacrificed several times to rescue other people. In his third time in early September, Nguyen was dead after taking a small kid from the middle of a local river to the bank.

The Youth Union and Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan posthumously presented the “Brave Youth” medal to Nguyen.

2. Pregnant rail guards rescue babies

On October 20, after lifting down the barrier to make way for a train that was running into the terminal in the central city of Hue, Nguyen Thi Nhan, 26, a railroad guard at Binh Tri Thien Railway Management Company, saw a baby standing on the track just 55m from the coming train.

Despite her 6-month pregnancy, Nhan immediately gave signals to the train to slow down and rushed to take the boy away. It wasn’t until a long after the incident that Nhan could regain her calm.

The Vietnam Railway Corporation issued a decision to commend and reward Nhan for saving the 2-year-old boy. Nhan had previously been praised and awarded by her company.

A similar case happened in Phu Yen Province in August when 23-year-old Tran Thi Xuan, also a railway guard, saved a 20-month-old boy from being hit by a train in Tuy An District.

The boy, whose name is Nguyen Ngoc Bau, suddenly stepped into the track while a train was approaching him at 60 kph. Xuan was later awarded a certificate of merit and VND2 million (US$96) for her brave act.

3. Waste collector gives back $2,000

Mr. Cho, a waste collector in the central city of Da Nang picked up a plastic bag on the road, with VND45 million (over $2,000) inside. He brought the bag to the local police station, asking police officers to give the bag back to the owner. Police then returned the bag to a local woman.

Some people said Cho was foolish because his family is very poor but Cho said that he could not spend money of others.

After a traffic accident, Cho could not work as a xe tho driver (carrying goods by bicycle) and he has become a waste collector. The old man earns only VND45,000-50,000 ($2-$3) a day.

Local police presented a certificate of merit and VND2 million ($100) bonus to the man.

4. Poor man with free transport service for students

The image of a middle-aged man who drives a home-made vehicle to carry poor students to and from school everyday has been very popular to residents of Hamlet 7 in Hoc Mon district, HCM City.

Most of residents in Hamlet 7 are poor people who do not have stable jobs and vehicles to take their children to school, which is over 3km far.

A local man named Nguyen Van Hung made a vehicle to take around 20 children in the hamlet to school for free, with eight trips a day. 

His wife initially did not agree with her husband’s “work for nothing” act but as his act is useful for many people, she now warmly supports him.

5. 68-year-old man cleans up street at night

For the last 4-5 years, a thin, snowy-haired old man has cleaned the street of Chinese Vietnamese in Ward 11, District 5, HCM City every midnight. That is Mr. To Tien Ha, 68.

The homeless man has been living for nearly half of a century at the corner of the street. He does every job to earn his living, from washing dishes, stevedoring, etc.

He has been a volunteer cleaner for years.

6. Village of cornea donators

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Kieu.

Binh An 1 village in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has only 500 families, but up to 100 people have registered to donate their cornea. 

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Kieu, who initiated this campaign, said: “When I did not understand about cornea donation, I was scared because I thought that cornea donation is tearing eyes of the dead to donate to the living. But after doctors explained to me about it, I immediately registered.”

Binh An 1 is the first hamlet where has the cornea donating campaign.

Source: VNN