HCMC – The Saigon Times Group, the Phoenix Foundation and the authorities of Xin Man District on August 27 broke ground on a new bridge project in Nam Phang, a poor hamlet in Ban Ngo Commune, Xin Man District, Ha Giang Province.
The Nam Phang bridge is expected to provide the local residents with easier and more convenient transport. The reinforced concrete bridge, 5.4 meters long and 5 meters wide, costs nearly VND1 billion and is scheduled for completion in November 2021.
Last year, representatives of the Saigon Times Group and sponsors visited upland areas in Xin Man District to deliver necessities to people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic during the “Saigon Times – Great Circle” program.
Realizing the underdeveloped infrastructure in Nam Phang Hamlet, which severely affected the life of local people, the group called on the Phoenix Foundation to fund the construction of Nam Phang bridge.
Nam Phang is an extremely poor hamlet of Ban Ngo Commune and is home to 114 families with 593 people. It is located 7 kilometers from the center of Ban Ngo Commune and 16 kilometers from the center of Xin Man District.
Rough terrain and underdeveloped infrastructure cause numerous difficulties for the travel and transport of local people, especially in the rainy season.
Nam Phang borders Ta Cu Ty Commune, Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province. However, they are separated by many streams, resulting in poor transport connectivity.
During the dry season, the locals in Ban Ngo and Ta Cu Ty communes often wade through Nam Ngoa Stream, which is the main route connecting the two communes. However, this is impossible during the rainy season.
Therefore, the Saigon Times Group and the Phoenix Foundation decided to build a bridge to provide the locals with better transport.
The Phoenix Foundation was founded in 2011 with a mission to help improve transport infrastructure in disadvantaged areas and build houses for the poor. The foundation has also carried out many social and educational projects in Vietnam.
Since its establishment, the Phoenix Foundation has built 25 bridges in the Mekong Delta region, five bridges in the central region and nearly 50 houses for the poor. The foundation has also donated books to rural children and provided poor schools with computers.
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Nam Phang bridge, Vu Minh Hung, vice chairman of Xin Man District, thanked the Saigon Times Group and the Phoenix Foundation for building the new bridge for local residents of Ban Ngo Commune.
From HCMC, Tran Minh Hung, Editor-in-Chief of the Saigon Times Group, said the group is honored to serve as a bridge connecting sponsors with the local authorities.
“We are very happy when the Saigon Times brand can expand its presence in the border province of Ha Giang. We hope that the Nam Phang bridge will make transport easier for the locals when it is complete,” he said.
By Ngoc Diep
