Cao Lan City in Dong Thap Province is a place that requires a three-hour drive from central Ho Chi Minh City. Located in the Mekong Delta, a major grain-producing area in southern Vietnam, this region is crisscrossed by narrow, long muddy waterways between villages.
Two villages face each other across a waterway approximately 10 meters wide. Although the distance seems close enough to cross in just a few steps, in the past, residents had to take a detour of more than 30 minutes to reach the opposite side. Inconvenience always accompanied children’s commutes to school and residents’ daily travel. Especially when the rainy season arrived, the waterway would swell, making movement difficult and causing disruptions in the transportation of essential goods and materials. This is why a small bridge connecting the villages was desperately needed by residents in this area.
Things are different now. With a bridge built between the two villages, it takes less than one minute to cross to the other side. The company that built this bridge is Korean healthcare appliance firm Seresem. Since 2020, Seresem has promoted the “Bridge of Hope” project to help improve mobility for local residents, and has so far constructed three bridges in Vietnam. A two-lane bridge was also installed in Cao Lan City.
The change in daily life brought by a single bridge was significant. One resident working as a local government official in Cao Lan City expressed satisfaction, stating, “Since the bridge was built, commuting has become noticeably more convenient, and routine travel time has been drastically shortened,” adding, “We can now safely travel back and forth even during the rainy season.”
Bridge construction not only improved residents’ mobility but also served as an opportunity to introduce the company Seresem to the local community. A local resident said, “I learned about the company Seresem through the Bridge of Hope,” adding, “Our trust in the company has increased because it supports facilities that are truly needed in the region.”
Seresem is also regaining momentum in its Bridge of Hope project, which had stalled for a while due to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has set a goal of constructing one bridge per year and is currently looking for a location for the construction of the fourth bridge.
Jeon Woo-eun, head of Seresem’s Vietnam subsidiary, said, “As we have continued our business in Vietnam for a long period and grown accordingly, responsibility and role toward the local community are also important,” adding, “The Korean headquarters also emphasizes fulfilling public-interest roles and responsibilities for the sustainable growth of the company.” He continued, “Since this project was started after careful consideration of what infrastructure is most urgently needed given the local situation in Vietnam, we aim to build one site per year going forward,” stating, “We will continuously look into areas that need support and parts where practical assistance is required.”
in LIVING
