The unforgettable days

In the days of havoc incurred by the Covid-19 epidemic, the youth leader suddenly became a frontline soldier. He is Nguyen Le Huu Bao, the Secretary of Tan Uyen town Youth’s League, on his urgent designation to gather 130 volunteers from 12 wards and communes to support the Campus 2 of Thoi Hoa Field Hospital in Ben Cat town.

Mr. Nguyen Le Huu Bao (second from the right) is always attached to volunteers to follow up all duties of Covid-19 prevention and control

The youthful responsibility

On the first days of September 2021, the number of workers in Tan Uyen Town infected and suspected of being infected with Covid-19 reached more than 10,000. At the meeting of the Steering Committee for Covid-19 prevention and control in the town, the local Youth’s League was directed to quickly convene the squad. The car carrying the youth volunteer team to the treatment area when it was dark. Mr. Bao arranged the squad and inspire the friends: "We go as much as we can. Let's unite and help to overcome danger and accomplish the tasks." The whole squad simultaneously agreed and immediately got to work. Fully equipped with protective gear, they were for the work of distributing meals and collecting information of thousands of people overnight.

Taking off the protective suit after hours of hard work, the whole squad was all exhausted. That night, Mr. Bao and his friends only slept for 2 or 3 hours. A new day began at the field. Continuing with his daily work, Mr. Bao and the whole squad were divided into several groups. Everyone tried to exploit and input F0 information, classify drugs, take Covid-19 test samples, distribute meals, medicines, and mobilize people to carry out treatment activities. During a week of rushing in the front line, Mr. Bao led the youth volunteer team in the treatment area with determination to well support the collection and treatment of infected patients.

Tan Uyen town was in stressful epidemic days with a high number of infected people. As the Youth’s League took on a pioneering role in the front lines, Mr. Bao's responsibility was even higher. In preparation for the townwide tests, the town's officials and civil servants from 12 communes and wards were approved to mobilize the youths to take the responsibility for training people with samples taking. Having just passed the training program, Mr. Bao received direction to support the youths to the town Health Center. Along with a fixed lineup at the center, he coordinated 20 more youths to participate in testing and tracing through the night.

On all the roads of the youth volunteer squad in towns, communes and wards, especially those "locked and frozen" areas, the young volunteers were familiar with the image of the leader of the sampling test squad and vaccination – the Secretary of the town who was always busy working. Every day, he got to the site to encourage the whole squad: "The more you go, the stronger you are. Mentally strong!" Upholding the slogan in mind, the volunteers have overcome all challenges and unexpected situations that the local needed to support during the epidemic.”

For Mr. Bao, those days were only running and running, running out of the sun in the hot protective suit, running in time out of the rain but late for your meals and moreover to participate in the fight against the Covid-19 epidemic. Having just departed to welcome 100 officers and students of Military School of Military Region 7 to carry out the task of "fighting the epidemic to help the people" and welcoming volunteers from outside the province to support the field, the isolation treatment area, he received news of a volunteer's mother died of Covid-19 infection. Mr. Bao immediately ran to Tan Phuoc Khanh ward to pay respects and offer condolences to the volunteer. For 4 months, the agency was the home and the volunteer teammates and Mr. Bao did all the tasks of dumplings, bread, lunch boxes and other supplies to support and create good conditions for volunteering anti-epidemic participants.

At 20:00 on a day in September in Uyen Hung ward, Mr. Bao visited the youth squad who were giving support to the workers and quickly grabbed the dumpling box to get out of the car so that they could relax after completing the tasks. Leaving Uyen Hung ward, he ran to Khanh Binh ward at exactly 21:00. Seeing Mr. Bao coming, the peer happily said: "Having Mr. Bao, we don't have to worry about the stomach growling in the middle of the night." The work of testing 500 PCR samples had gradually made the volunteers tired at the time; he hurriedly put on protective gear with his peers to finish the remaining tasks. The phone rang with news from the town's transportation block, he got back in the car to return to the office to work as a porter when dozens of tons of vegetables and fruits had just been delivered. Mr. Bao quickly moved with everyone to transfer vegetables and fruits and said as joking: "It's just a routine exercising at midnight." Not only did he contribute his strength, he also campaigned to give gifts to disadvantaged people at the cost of more than VND 150 million.

The warmth

 “They did not choose to stay at home to prevent the epidemic and were not afraid of infection but volunteered to join the frontline. That showed the beautiful spirit and high awareness of the role of youths like many others who have volunteered to protect the fatherland," Mr. Bao expressed to such volunteers. As a youth leader, he is always interested, attached, and united with volunteers from many other provinces and cities to support Tan Uyen town in fighting the epidemic.

At 0:00, at checkpoint 6, Pham Cam Huong in Tan Long neighborhood of Tan Hiep ward and Huynh Vu Lam in Vinh Truong neighborhood of Tan Vinh Hiep ward suddenly received a birthday cake from Mr. Bao. Their 22nd birthday was in special circumstances along with the special joy brought by the Secretary of the town – the great encouragement for the two. After receiving the birthday greetings, Huong continued to take charge while Lam rushed to the ambulance to support the medical force on duty.

For Mr. Bao, at the time of "fighting the epidemic like fighting the enemy", it was not only the role and responsibility of youth but also the duty of citizens to share love when people's lives are still in many difficulties with the spirit of being able to help anyone who need help. Humanity is the biggest motivation for people to overcome difficulties. At 21:00, Mr. Bao received a phone call from a volunteer in Tan Hiep ward informing him that he needed to help a baby staying at the rented house who couldn't stop crying because he had no milk to feed. Starting the car, on the way to the key formations, he rushed to find a store to buy baby diapers. So a little more joy stayed in him at the end of the day for helping people in the most needed time.

Defining the Youth’s League as the "brother of ten thousand children", Bao always gave the children the most care and love in his heart. “In a youth association, many families of young workers having difficulties, so the children do not have textbooks, but the new school year had entered almost a month already. Without books, children would not keep up with knowledge.” Hearing that information from the phone call, Mr. Bao quickly mobilized and received support to help the children with 11 sets of textbooks  on the bus, Mr. Bao also loaded a few more cartons of milk and went directly to the Khmer worker's residence in Uyen Hung ward to learn about the difficult life of workers; at the same time, he gave books and milk to the children. Smiling with happy eyes when receiving gifts somewhat relieved the anxiety of employees, which was his happiness.

An unforgettable memory of Mr. Bao was the mid-autumn night at the F0 quarantine area of Khanh Binh ward. In a protective suit, he gave gifts and cakes to the children. The innocence and joy of the children under the memorable moonlit night of 2021 would forever be a beautiful memory in Bao's youthful days.

Reported by Kim Tuyen – Translated by Vi Bao