The greatest challenge lay in Pa Tết village, Mường Toong commune, where all construction materials had to be transported manually by soldiers and villagers. Yet with strong determination to meet their assigned goals, the provincial armed forces contributed over 1,000 workdays, extracted 67 cubic meters of sand and gravel, and carried more than 15 tons of cement, 984 roofing sheets, and timber planks to build new houses for impoverished families.

Private Thào A Vừ of Infantry Battalion 1, Regiment 741, while laying bricks, smiled and said: “Helping the villagers here feels just like building our own homes. Seeing their joy gives us more strength and makes us work even faster.”

In Huổi Lích 2 village, Nậm Kè commune, where 73 households and 350 residents, all of them Dao ethnic and Protestant migrants, struggle with difficult livelihoods, 11 families were identified as needing their makeshift houses replaced. With the goal of completing the program before August 31, 2025, provincial armed forces officers and soldiers enthusiastically dug foundations, leveled land, erected frames, and roofed houses. Despite muddy, slippery roads, steep slopes, and streams that required materials to be carried by hand, the laughter and calls of encouragement from soldiers and villagers echoed through the mountains, dispelling fatigue and hardship in the border highlands.

Ms. Lý Lở Mẩy of Huổi Lích 2 village said emotionally: “In the past, whenever it rained, our house leaked, and in winter the cold wind blew right in. Thanks to the soldiers’ help, we now have a solid home to live in. My family feels secure, and we will work hard to improve our lives. We are deeply grateful to the soldiers!”

As of August 16, 39 out of 66 planned houses had been completed: 16 newly built and 23 repaired in Nậm Kè (11 new) and Mường Toong (23 repaired, 5 new). Of the 10 houses in Na Sang assigned to the Defensive Area Commands of Region 2, 6 had reached 90-94% completion, while 4 were under repair.

Each new house is not merely a shelter but a steadfast “milestone” in the hearts of the people. That milestone does not appear on a map, but in the hearts of border residents, where the will to defend every sacred inch of the Fatherland is nurtured by solidarity and sharing. Beyond house construction, the provincial armed forces also helped villagers till gardens, repair fences, plant trees around new homes, and clean village roads.

Colonel Nguyễn Mạnh Cường, Deputy Political Commissar of the provincial Military Command, who directly supervised construction sites, affirmed: “Despite rugged terrain, scarce materials, and numerous challenges, officers and soldiers strove alongside the people to build houses. Each warm home is a testament to the solidarity and close bond that safeguard the Fatherland’s borders. Every new house erected becomes a ‘fortress’ of unyielding faith.”

As soldiers gradually disappeared over the slopes, the newly built houses gleamed under the borderland sun, symbols of enduring military-civilian unity. The troops continued their journey to even more distant and difficult villages, bringing with them new homes and new hopes for poor households along the frontier.