Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – On the morning of October 17, 2025, the Community Development Ministry team set off for Trại Cau hamlet, Nam Hòa commune, Thái Nguyên province, delivering 130 gift packages as Trại Cau flood relief after the historic floods of early October.
See photos: photos of the Trại Cau trip on the Community Development Ministry fanpage
Preparing Quickly
As soon as the floods caused heavy damage in Thái Nguyên, the ministry quickly contacted local representatives and volunteer groups, so that goods would reach the areas least served instead of piling up where much help had already arrived. From October 11 to 16, 2025, thanks to many donors, the ministry received 84,500,000 dong and a box of seasoning salt.
A Small Hamlet After the Flood
Trại Cau hamlet has about 180 households, of which 123 were affected and 54 suffered the most damage. Along the road in, rice fields not yet ripe were buried in mud, roads were torn up and power poles lay scattered; some hamlets still had no electricity. Many houses still bore water marks almost up to the roof, with furniture moldy and ruined.
Villagers said that luckily the second flood came during the day, so they had time to escape. One family in a single-story house with no way onto the roof had to climb on top of a cupboard to take refuge. “The water was so strong that even if you wanted to swim out, you couldn’t,” one resident recalled. Rice, corn, livestock and poultry saved for the year-end harvest were almost entirely lost.
130 Gift Packages
Each package, worth about 230,000 dong, contained 10 kg of rice, 1 liter of cooking oil, 1 bottle of fish sauce and 2 packets of seasoning salt. The 54 hardest-hit households also received 500,000 dong in cash. The team handed out 54 packages in person, and the other 76 were given to the village to distribute to other households. The total cost was 56,419,514 dong; the remaining 28 million dong or so was used for a second relief trip in Thái Nguyên.
The team stopped by the Trại Cau preschool, where many toys and storybooks were damaged but the teachers kept classes going. With no time to prepare gifts, the team could only leave some candy for the children. As they said goodbye, the teachers thoughtfully gave the team bottles of water for the road, a simple gesture that moved everyone.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
The team is grateful to the commune and Trại Cau village officials for their eager help, and to the villagers who waited patiently even though the team arrived late after getting lost.
Let Us Pray Together
- For the people of Trại Cau to soon restore their homes, fields and livelihoods.
- For the preschool children and teachers to be supported.
- For hamlets in Thái Nguyên still in need to receive help.
Read more in Community Development and Church News. Contact the church office: 0942 248 688 (Zalo available).
