When arriving in the Hai Hau District of Nam Dinh province these days,
one can feel the inspired spirit of the officials and inhabitants as they build
their own development model of rural area.
Hai Hau is developing fast and in
every single new house, school and concrete road, the evidence of a strong
community is prevalent.
In Hai Phuong Commune, Hai Hau
district, 40 percent of the population are Catholics. From early morning, the
echoing sound of the bell leads people to the church and their faces brighten
with the simple happiness their faith gives them.
After two years of putting
together a new rural development programme, the average income of the local
residents has reached VND17 million per annum. More than 87 percent of all
households have received the ‘Cultural Family’ title, 90 percent of families
have a maximum of two children and over 95 percent of local households have
access to clean water.
All roads in the commune are now
paved with concrete and the education system, from nursery school to secondary
school, is up to national standards. Security and social order of the commune
are ensured. And furthermore, Churches and chapels are upgraded and spacious.
Looking at the commune today, few people could imagine that just five years
ago, Hai Phuong was a poor commune of Hai Hau.
Vu Van Hung, the Chairman of the
Hai Phuong chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front said that the commune has
achieved 13 out of the 19 criteria set for new development models of rural
areas, thanks to the solidarity of the local people, regardless of whether they
are Catholics or not. The local Catholics always make active and constructive
contributions to the commune, especially in raising production levels,
expanding trade links, or donating land to develop the local infrastructure, he
said.
With the introduction of this
programme, unity among the locals here has also become stronger. Nowadays,
there is no distinction made between Catholics and non-Catholics. They study,
work and strive to make their own village a beautiful and prosperous place
together.
Three kilometres from Hai Phuong
is Hai Duong commune, where over the generations a tale about the Doi River ,
which once divided inhabitants living on both banks, is often told. On one side
the residents are Catholics, while on the other side of the ‘border’ the people
are non-Catholics.
Older people in the commune say
that in the past, people living on one side of the river could not get married
to those from the other side. That meant Catholics were banned from marrying
non-Catholics. Due to this unwritten rule, many couples were unable to live
together as husband and wife.
“We could be friends, but could
absolutely not become husband and wife”, says Vu Thi Nhai, 54, a local
resident. “The main reason was the difference in religion, our traditional
customs and the way we live. We non-Catholics believe in Buddha, while the
Catholics go to church every week”.
This all belongs to the past.
Today, together with rapid
development and positive changes in the nation, Hai Duong has been chosen as one
of 11 pilot communes in the country to implement the programme to build new
development models of rural areas, and the local people’s way of thinking has
clearly changed.
They understand that despite all
the differences in their religions and practices, both Catholics and
non-Catholics share the same dream of having happy and prosperous lives.
Mai Thi Xuan, 20, who is married
to a non-Catholics man, confides that at first, she was a bit hesitant as she
was worried about the religious differences. But then she decided that the
biggest thing that ensures happiness is love.
The wedding was held in a way
that pleased both the bride and groom’s families. They registered with the
local government and introduced the relatives on the groom’s side, then went to
the church to receive a blessing from the Reverend Father.
Two years later, she is well
acquainted with her new family and keeps going to church every weekend. Their
small family is always happy and the new addition, a lovely one year old baby
boy, makes them even happier.
Nguyen Van Cuong, 24, married a
Catholic girl earlier this year. He said that before the wedding, he took a
catechism class for two months. Now, he goes to church every week with his
wife.
“I feel happy about going to the
church. It’s also good for me, as we all want to do good in the world”, said
Cuong.
The Doi River is now no longer a
‘border’ that separates the people on both banks, but connects both Catholics
and non-Catholics together with love and solidarity in a united and harmony
community.
This is one of the main factors
to contribute to bringing about positive changes in a locality that is joining
in with the nation’s integration process.
VNA
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