War veteran Nguyen Van Cha tends his garden. (Photo: VOV)

Mr. Nguyen Van Cha joined the army in 1985, served in the Engineer Corps of Division 330, and performed international duties in Cambodia. During an operation in 1987, he was severely wounded and had to have a leg amputated. After nearly three years of rehabilitation, Cha returned to civilian life with an 80% disability. His life at that time was very difficult.

“Back then, Vietnam was still a poor country. My monthly army pension was very little. Life after demobilization was extremely hard,” he recalled.

After Cha got married, his family moved to the U Minh forest to reclaim land and start a new life. They were granted 7 hectares of land for forestry and agriculture. The U Minh land was very acidic, making it relatively unproductive.

“My wife and I worked as hired laborers, clearing land, transplanting rice, picking sweet potato shoots, and cutting reeds. We did all sorts of jobs to earn a living. At night, we went fishing. When there were no jobs, we grew rice and collected firewood and exchanged it for rice. We had to travel to distant places to sell the firewood, because nobody would buy it here,” Cha said.

(Photo: VOV)

President Ho Chi Minh’s words “down but not out” inspired Cha and his wife to overcome challenges.

At first, the couple grew rice on low-lying areas. Later, they made use of empty land around their home to grow vegetables and fruit trees, and raise fowls and pigs. They also grew bananas on the land near their pond.

“The two rows of banana trees bring in around 380 USD per year. With bananas, nothing goes to waste – the leaves and flower buds can be sold. We combine banana growing with rice and melaleuca cultivation, which brings us around 11,000 USD per year,” he said. 

The family also grows 100 bamboo plants for shoots, adding another 2,000 USD to their annual income. Cha has planted hybrid acacia, which he expects to bring in thousands of dollars more in the coming years.

Impressed by his efforts, Ho Minh Quyen, Head of the Veterans Association of hamlet 10, Khanh Lam commune, said:   “The land is very acidic, which makes farming extremely difficult. Cha has worked hard weeding and conditioning the land. He’s also an active member of the Veterans Association.”

Nguyen Van Cha receives a Certificate of Merit for his contributions to the revolution. (Photo: VOV)

Heeding President Ho Chi Minh’s saying that “Labor is glorious”, Cha, at the age of 63, continues to work hard every day. He was one of four individuals from Ca Mau province selected to attend a national conference honoring outstanding revolutionary contributors held in Hanoi last year.