Dam Thuy border guards on patrol. (Photo: Vinh Phong)

Dam Thuy border post is situated in Chi Vien and Dam Thuy commune, home of Tay, Nung, and Dao ethnic minority groups. The soldiers here are in charge of protecting 60 border markers along 19 km of border with China, 17.5 km of which are on land, and the rest on the river. The famous tourist sites of Cao Bang, including Ban Gioc waterfall, Truc Lam Ban Gioc Buddhist Pagoda, and Nguom Ngao cave, are all located along this border line.

Over the years, Dam Thuy’s border guards have closely cooperated with the locals in safeguarding Vietnam’s sovereign territory and planting border markers in the Ban Gioc waterfall area.

They have encouraged local families to build prosperous and happy households, persuaded hundreds of school dropouts to resume their studies, sponsored 2 students in difficult circumstances, and constructed charity houses for the poor.

Members of Dam Thuy border station help local people build roads. (Photo: Vinh Phong)

Lieutenant Colonel Ly Van Chan, Vice Political Commissar of the Dam Thuy border station, said, “Over the past year, we have worked with the local authorities in socio-economic development and poverty reduction."

"As ethnic minorities living in the border area still have many problems, each year we assign officers to be in charge of each household to help them stabilize their lives and escape poverty. We also help locals separate barns from their living space to ensure a hygienic environment.”

In response to a movement calling on Cao Bang border guards to pay a debt of gratitude to revolutionary contributors in border areas, Dam Thuy Border Station has helped four mothers of revolutionary martyrs. Each month, military medical staff are sent to conduct health examinations and provide free medicine to them. At harvest time, the station's officers and soldiers come to help the mothers do their farming. On holidays, they visit and give them gifts.

Dam Thuy border soldiers have coordinated with local authorities and leaders of local schools to help poor pupils. The station is sponsoring 4 pupils at Po Tau Secondary School. In addition to monitoring, encouraging, and tutoring them, each month the station gives each pupil 21 USD, buys new books and clothes for them at the beginning of the school year, and gives them gifts at Lunar New Year and at the end of each academic year.

A military doctor performs health check-ups on the mother of a revolutionary martyr. (Photo: Vinh Phong)

Lieutenant Colonel Ly Van Chan said, “We are adopting two children - one was born in 2007 and the other in 2008. We feed and arrange accommodation for them at the station and two military personnel are assigned to take care of them. One of them recently won third prize in the Cao Bang youth creativity contest. This has motivated the others to make a greater effort.”

Through programs to help ethnic minorities in the area, Dam Thuy border station has donated thousands of USD.

Nong Van Huynh, one of the four adopted children at Dam Thuy border station, said, “I won 3rd prize in Cao Bang province’s youth creativity contest for a method for watering rice fields using solar energy. The project was conceived because this year Trung Khanh district had little rain. I owe my success to Dam Thuy soldiers’ support and encouragement for my studies since I moved to the station. I will try my best not to disappoint the soldiers.”

Hoang Doan Tuyen, another adopted child by the station, said, “My father died when I was in 6th grade. My mother left home when I was small. I have been adopted to live here for one year and I’m very happy. I’ve been tutored by the soldiers in the station and fed well. This year I’m working to achieve the title of excellent student. I want to be a soldier when I grow up to defend the national border.”