On 25/7, Van gathered his children and grandchildren for the inauguration of his new home in Huong Pho commune after three months of construction. The project is part of the "House of Hope" initiative, funded by Agribank and implemented by the Hope Foundation through the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Huong Pho commune.

The Hope Foundation, along with representatives from Agribank and FPT Online, presented the new house to Van in Huong Pho commune, Ha Tinh province, on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

The Hope Foundation, along with representatives from Agribank and FPT Online, presented the new house to Van in Huong Pho commune, Ha Tinh province, on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

The nearly 100-year-old man explained that for years, he and his 102-year-old wife, Nguyen Thi Tam, lived in constant fear of their house collapsing, especially during rain. Their three-room house was a makeshift structure with thin wooden walls, a fibro-cement roof riddled with holes, and decaying support beams.

Van is a second-class war veteran, his wife is paralyzed, and his children struggle financially, relying primarily on his pension and social welfare benefits of a little over 4 million VND per month. Last year, they finally saved up 10 million VND to repair the roof, but Van was hospitalized for an extended period due to recurring war injuries.

"I always dreamed of a brick house so I could rest assured that if I passed away first, my wife would have a safe place to live. It's like a miracle that I've been given this new home," the veteran said.

Nguyen Thi Hanh (in red), deputy director of the Huong Khe - Ha Tinh branch of Agribank, presented a gift to Van on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

Nguyen Thi Hanh (in red), deputy director of the Huong Khe - Ha Tinh branch of Agribank, presented a gift to Van on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

In addition to Van's house, 36 other struggling households living in dilapidated temporary shelters in Ha Tinh province also received new homes through the project, at a total cost of over 3 billion VND.

Representing the sponsor, Nguyen Thi Hanh, deputy director of the Huong Khe - Ha Tinh branch of Agribank, stated that programs to replace dilapidated housing and build solid homes for families in difficult circumstances clearly demonstrate Agribank's commitment to social responsibility and the principle of "leaving no one behind."

The "House of Hope" project not only provides shelter but also ignites hope and inspires families, especially the younger generation, to strive for a brighter future.

In collaboration with the project, FPT Online partnered with Agribank to organize a virtual race on the vRace platform to raise funds.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, director of FPT Online's Hanoi branch, expressed her emotion at seeing Van admiring his new home.

"We are grateful to contribute to this meaningful community project and hope to support families in need in other provinces and cities in the future," Huong said.

At the ceremony, Ha Thi Viet Anh, vice president of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ha Tinh province, noted that the region still has many poor and vulnerable households living in temporary, prefabricated homes that require evacuation during storms. Some households consist solely of elderly residents, posing significant risks if not promptly addressed.

Anh explained that the "House of Hope" project, which supported the construction of 37 new, sturdy homes, contributed to the province's goal of eliminating over 2,200 dilapidated houses for the poor, near-poor, and families of policy beneficiaries.

The inauguration ceremony of the "House of Hope" at Van's home in Huong Pho commune, on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

The inauguration ceremony of the "House of Hope" at Van's home in Huong Pho commune, on 25/7/2025. Photo: Nga Thanh

The "House of Hope" project was implemented by the Hope Foundation and Agribank to commemorate the 37th anniversary of the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (26/3/1988 – 26/3/2025).

In the first six months of this year, Agribank allocated over 250 billion VND for social activities, education, healthcare, disaster relief, and sustainable community development. In 2024 alone, Agribank dedicated nearly 700 billion VND to community support programs. For the program to eliminate dilapidated housing, Agribank contributed over 230 billion VND, including 120 billion VND in response to the Prime Minister's initiative to support new house construction and repairs for poor households nationwide.

Nga Thanh

Program name: Your name - House of Hope

Program ID: 195961