On arriving in Gia Canh commune, Dinh Quan district, we asked the local residents for information about a foreigner who often visits and does a lot of work for charity here. Everyone here seems to know about him very well. That man is Marc De Muynck, Vice President of Les efants du dragon, a France-based organization, who brings a lot of joy and happiness to the poor and laughter to children.
At the opening ceremony of the renovation project of the health staion of Hamlet 9, Mr. Marc De Muynck awarded 2 scholarships (one million a moth) to the ethnic students
Mr. Vo Minh Hung used to live in hamlet 7, Gia Canh commune with his wife, 4 children and 2 handicapped nephews under an old shabby roof. Their life was so harsh. A chance to cut poverty came to his family when Mr. Marc De Muynck was determined to construct a new house for them. Mr. Hung shared that: “Since we had this house, we feel much safer during stormy season. We can give our whole minds to earning for living. Although our jobs are not stable, much our lives have improved significantly with no more hunger and shortage of everyday basic items”.
Not only Mr. Hung’s family but many other households in the area have received the aid from Mr. Marc De Muynck in the journeys to get rid of poverty permanently as well. In spite of being over 70 and disabled legs as well as his heart disease, backache… Mr. Marc De Muynck never ceases searching for poor lives. He helps them dig wells, construct charity houses, gives scholarship to poor students, send clothes and other basics supplies to poor families.
His love to human beings is unlimited. He shared that: “I always have a passion to help the poor, especially children. Whenever I see a miserable family, an orphan, I feel obsessed. I believe that I have to do something to help them change their lives.” Mr. Marc De Muynck has been concerned about how to provide them with encouragement to move toward a brighter future.
Speaking about her past, Mrs. Tho Thi Phuong living in hamlet 9 (Gia Canh commune) sobbingly shared that: “We used to be homeless. All family members had to work as hired laborers on the farms where we stayed overnights. In 2013, Mr. Marc decided to build us a 40-million house. After we had a new roof, we borrowed money from our neighbors to buy a breeding cow. In 2017, we had 10 cows in total.” She sold her cows to buy 7 plots of farm for cultivation. Now their life has improved significantly.
Former President of Union of Friendship organizations of Dong Nai province Bui Ngoc Thanh is awarding the letter of gratitude to Les enfants du dragon organization and Mr. Marc De Muynck (France).
With the spirit of giving without taking, Mr. Marc De Muynck and his organization have been dedicated to helping the people in difficulties without asking for returns. Not only building houses, he also installed 5 water purifying systems to serve 2,750 students and residents of Gia Canh commune, dug 2 industrial wells to provide clean water for the health station of the commune, the office of hamlet 5 and the surrounding neighborhoods; awarding 190 scholarships, giving 90 bicycles to poor students, renovating the health station of hamlet 9, supplying the local residents with over a container of clothes.
Mrs. Duong Kim Lien (living in Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh city), Mr. Marc’s assistant, shared that: “He is a man of sentiment. One time when he saw a child struggling in his life, he failed to fight back tears. He always shows his special sympathy with anyone in difficulties and he tries his best to help them. When I first met him, he barely knew a word in Vietnamese language. In order to do charity, he managed to put single words together to build a sentence in Vietnamese language. Then he spent his time and money to study Vietnamese. After one year of considerable efforts, now he can communicate with local resident with his funny Vietnamese when he does charity work.”
Mr. Dao Ngoc Anh, Vice President of the People’s Committee of Gia Canh commune, said that in the commune, there are many people living in harsh conditions. The aid from Mr. Marc and Les enfants du dragon organization has contributed to partly implementing social welfare policy in the commune. Since 2011, the organization has invested nearly 3 billion dong in the commune. Especially, all of 34 households that received loving houses constructed with the grants from Mr. Marc were pulled out of poverty and now have stable careers.
Les enfants du dragon organization was established in France in 2009 under the will of a benevolent French. Mr. Marc De Muynck and his organization was officially recognized by Vietnamese Government in March 2010. During the past time, this organization has invested 5.3 billion dong in Dong Nai province. |
XT