Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong prepares rice to give to people in difficult circumstances.
No appeals on social media, no charity boxes in front of the door. At a small rice shop in Tan Ninh ward ( Tay Ninh province), the “hanging rice” model has been quietly maintained for more than half a year.
Thanh Phong rice shop on Nguyen Thai Hoc street looks like any other rice shop at first glance. However, if you pay attention, you will occasionally see disabled people or old people selling lottery tickets who are given a 5kg bag of rice by the shop owner. That is the amount of "hanging rice" that the 9x couple - Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong and Ms. Tran Pham Ngoc Chau - received from friends and benefactors to give to the needy.
Ms. Chau said that about 2 years ago, her family encountered many consecutive incidents. It was during that precarious period that she vowed to become a vegetarian and wanted to live a more useful life. From the model of a "hanging rice" restaurant that she accidentally saw online, Mr. Phong and Ms. Chau launched "hanging rice" with the message: "Whoever needs it, come, whoever helps, send it."
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong brings rice to give to lottery ticket sellers in the Holy See's inner city.
Mr. Phong shared that at first, only he and his wife did it secretly. Later, close friends and relatives who knew about it also joined in to support, depending on their financial situation. “Some people sent 100,000 or 200,000 VND, some donated a few kilograms of rice, and some sent a few million VND at a time. When the amount of rice sent was not enough for a 5kg portion, the shop would add more rice. Usually, when giving away rice, I would advise or proactively choose delicious rice but charge a lower price than usual. Because I think, for people in difficult circumstances, meals may not have many dishes. If the rice was a little better, everyone's meals would be of better quality,” Mr. Phong shared.
Instead of waiting for people to come and ask for rice, Phong often proactively invites lottery ticket sellers, disabled people, etc. who pass by the shop to receive rice. Sometimes, on weekends, he and his wife take their children and carry the "hanging rice" to markets, boarding houses, pagodas, etc. to personally deliver it to those in need. "We have experienced a difficult life, so we understand people's circumstances very well. Helping someone to reduce a burden, we feel relieved," Chau said.
Whenever someone sends rice, Mr. Phong carefully records it and then summarizes clearly and specifically on his personal Facebook page each portion received and delivered. Although many people who send rice request anonymity and do not need to be notified, Mr. Phong and Ms. Chau understand that transparency is the way for the model to maintain trust and spread to more and more people.
Among those who received rice was Nguyen Ngoc Thanh (born in 1974, living in Thanh Dien commune), a lottery ticket seller with a disability in one leg. He said: “For others, a few kilograms of rice are not worth much. But for a worker like me, it is very precious. Every time I receive rice, I feel comforted and shared… I really thank you for thinking of people in need like me.”
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phong gives rice to poor people passing by his shop.
In addition to donating rice, Phong and Chau also sell it to donors who regularly do charity work at a lower price than usual. “We choose to make less profit so that we can have more rice for the poor. Both of us have experienced loss, so we understand the value of a warm meal and feel happy when we can share it,” Chau confided.
Just like that, from a few hundred kilograms, then to a few tons of rice were collected from kind-hearted people. At peak times, there were months when the whole family had to work all day packing bags, loading trucks, and transporting them to various places: Go Ken Pagoda, the Blind Association, the Provincial Social Protection Center, etc.
What makes the "hanging rice" model last and spread is not the amount of rice distributed, but the way people share with each other with all their hearts and kindness. As Mr. Phong confided: "The government takes care of big things like building houses for the poor. We are citizens, we have little and do little. Giving away a portion of rice also helps the needy have a little extra money to buy better food, or save money to take care of other things in life"./.
| “Hanging rice” is a form in which a person can send at least a portion of rice to give to someone in difficult circumstances, without verification or procedures. Each portion of “hanging rice” is a message of love. |
Hoa Khang - Khai Tuong
Source: https://baolongan.vn/thom-thao-gao-treo-a200108.html
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