Uncle Nam - Reliable Contact for Overseas Vietnamese in Cambodia

A Vietnamese with warm heart

Pham Trong, 24, a resident of a low-income commune in Dong Hung District, Thai Binh Province, is the victim. Trong described his unfortunate encounter in a faraway nation. Trong was told that he could find simple work in Cambodia that paid well despite having a poor family and an uncertain career. Trong was struggling and unsure of what to do to better the lives of his family. Trong and a few other individuals traveled to Cambodia without giving the trip much thought, only to be duped into entering a Sihanoukville city illegal labor facility.

Tran Van Nam, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association (plaid shirt) provided money for Pham Trong to return to his hometown.

Every day, Trong must go online to engage with individuals and push them to play games or come to Cambodia to work. Everyone here is required by the owner to labor for 17 hours each day, without pay or sick time. Furthermore, they were beaten every time the goal was not met. They wanted to terminate the contract but realized it wasn't an "easy money" job too late and had to pay the employer up to $4,000 to do so. Trong was desperate to escape this predicament and was fortunate to receive assistance from a friendly Vietnamese local who provided him with food, lodging, and money to pay for his flight back home.

Trong was overcome with sorrow as he said goodbye to Cambodia, "There are no easy high-paying jobs here, but there is a heart of Vietnamese expatriates."

Tran Van Nam, President of the Khmer-Vietnam Association in Sihanoukville city, is a Vietnamese immigrant with a good heart. The 74 years-old, Uncle Nam, is one of the typical people, attached to the community and has been continuously elected as the President of the Viet Kieu Association in PReah Sihanouk province for nearly 20 years now.

Vietnamese nationals have historically made up a large portion of the victims, including Trong, who Uncle Nam assisted in getting through some of his own tough times.

Tran Van Nam, Chairman of the Khmer-Vietnam Association bids farewell to victim Pham Trong and returns home.

Significant contributions to the Vietnamese community

Nam has been associated with the Vietnamese community in Preah Sihanouk. Not because he owns a furniture factory, but rather because Uncle Nam frequently assists visitors from out of town who are struggling.

Tran Van Nam was born in An Giang in 1949. He relocated to Cambodia's Preah Sihanouk province in 1986 in search of carpentry work. He started a family with his Vietnamese wife.

Uncle Nam understands and sympathizes with the hardships that Vietnamese people encounter in Preah Sihanouk after residing in the port city for many years. He has therefore consistently participated actively in all humanitarian operations started and organized by the Consulate General, both inside and beyond Preah Sihanouk province, both monetarily and spiritually, for many years.

"People who travel to Cambodia to work face extremely challenging conditions. Other people live in poverty, some don't have enough money to eat, some don't have jobs, and life is unstable, etc. Any circumstance is pitiful, so I have actively sought out sponsors and done everything in my power to assist those who want to return home," Nam revealed.

The Vietnamese consul general in Preah Sihanouk, Vu Ngoc Ly, described Tran Van Nam as a man who has made several contributions to Vietnamese society and is constantly willing to assist his fellow countrymen in finding employment.

"There were many cases where Vietnamese workers who were injured or escaped from illegal labor establishments were injured and had to be hospitalized, Uncle Nam mobilized the community to help pay for hospital bills, appoint people to look after... in some cases people who were injured or injured. Uncle Nam did all the donations, carrying out burial procedures or bringing people who passed away back to Vietnam," stated Vu Ngoc Ly, the Consul General.

During the Covid-19 outbreak, the majority of Vietnamese people were very tough, according to the Vietnamese Consul General in Preah Sihanouk. Uncle Nam and the Consul General coordinated numerous rounds of donations and relief for thousands of houses in difficult families, including both Vietnamese and Cambodians.

"Many poor individuals do not have money to pay the charge for making an alien card during the legal processes for relatives of Vietnamese heritage, therefore Uncle Nam has advanced his own funds to help pay till he has money," General Consul, Vu Ngoc Ly shared.

Tran Van Nam exemplifies the spirit of ascension in life by teaching his children to study and grow up with social standing in Cambodia (the son is a bank officer, and the daughter is a teacher). He still runs a woodworking shop in spite of his advanced age, providing many jobs for Vietnamese laborers.

Tran Van Nam, who is always looking to his roots, puts a lot of time and energy into preserving Vietnamese culture. Currently, a class teaching Vietnamese culture has been set up at the Khmer-VN Association in Preah Sihanouk province for kids of Vietnamese descent, as well as a class teaching Khmer culture for kids who can't afford to attend public schools in Cambodia.

And with that, the Vietnamese people's "mutual love" mentality began to spread to Cambodia.

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