By Quynh Tran August 9, 2021 | 18:56 GMT +7
Despite the loss of a leg, martial arts master Ta Anh Dung circulates around the Covid HCMV epicenter daily to provide free meals to those in need.
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For more than two months, Dung has been traveling from morning to night distributing food to those in need. âDuring the semi-confinement period in Saigon, many people lost their jobs and faced food shortages. I took pity on many homeless people on the streets. So me and my group members. volunteers are trying to lend a hand, âsaid the 62-year-old said.
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Volunteer work starts at 10:30 am every day. From his home on Pham The Hien Street in District 8, he walks eight kilometers to the kitchen of the volunteer group in Binh Chanh District to collect free meals. Having lost a leg at the age of 21 due to an accident, Dung is still able to swim, practice martial arts and run marathons. His main job now is to teach traditional martial arts to children, retirees and foreigners.
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About 200 servings are carefully packed in a foam box. This is one of the three family kitchens of the âTam Long Chungâ (Common Heart) volunteer group he joined seven years ago. Each day, the group appeals to benefactors to receive approximately 1,000 free meals for the poor. Besides cooked meals, the group also provides vegetables, rice, fish sauce, salt and more to support people living in isolation and blockade areas.
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He travels every day 60 kilometers between different districts. On Highway 50, the section crossing Phong Phu commune, Binh Chanh district, traffic police usually let him pass because they know him as a volunteer. âMy commute is quite convenient since I got a Vietnam Fatherland Front pass. Many members of the functional forces know my face, so they don’t check my documents,â he said.
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Upon meeting a male security guard working in a building on Highway 50, Dung stopped to hand him a packed lunch. Everyone should wash and sanitize their hands before receiving meals. âFor over a month now, the building I work for has been closed so there is no place to spend the night. I had to build a cabin in front of the door to stay. very grateful to receive free meals every day, âsaid the caretaker.
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After they finished distributing rice to a security guard, Dung’s team crossed the street to provide meals to the homeless living next to a garbage collection point.
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After receiving the meal, Be immediately opened the lunch box and began to eat. âI picked up bottles, wandered the streets and slept on the sidewalk for 20 years, but I’ve never found it as difficult as it is today. For two months, I have hardly any more money. Every day, I just hope for benefactors. would not give up on me, âhe said.
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At around 2:30 p.m., after finishing with 100 meals, he returned to the kitchen to have lunch, rest, and then pick up more meals to distribute. He usually finds a corner by the side of the road to avoid contact with people.
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His face is marked with the marks of masks and glasses, worn for hours. Dung said, âAfter every day of distributing meals, I always feel like there are a lot of poor people who need my help. Now I just hope our group gets more support, we always have enough food to distribute.
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After about 15 minutes of rest, the one-legged kung fu master visited other streets, alleys, temporary residences and more to distribute free meals to low-income families.
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