Warm support programme held to assist disadvantaged children

The 14th “Spring for Children” programme was held in Hanoi on Sunday evening (Jan 10) to call for support for disadvantaged children nationwide.

The event was held by the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) in cooperation with the Construction Newspaper.

As an annual activity of the NFVC, the event aimed to bring meaningful and practical gifts to disadvantaged children while paying tribute to the concerned units, organisations and individuals for their contributions to supporting children in difficult circumstances.

Speaking at the programme, Vice President cum Chairwoman of the NFVC’s Sponsoring Council Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh praised and acknowledged the support and voluntary activities of relevant agencies, organisations and individual who have accompanied the fund.

She emphasised that the Party and State have issued a range of policies to show their priority on protecting, caring for and educating children, thus ensuring their rights and comprehensive development.

However, as there are still about two million children in or at risk of falling into difficult circumstances, the vice president urged the relevant authorities, organisations, unions, families, schools and donors to continue to pay attention and support the building of a safe and friendly living environment, so that children can develop comprehensively, ensuring the better realisation of children’s rights and creating the best conditions for the country’s future owners.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Thinh awarded the third-class Labour Order to one individual at the event. On the occasion, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs awarded certificates of merit to units and individuals with outstanding achievements in child protection and care in 2020.

Earlier that day, Thinh hosted a meeting with typical sponsors who had made positive contributions to support activities for children in 2020.

Praising their contribution to the social security activities, the vice president informed that in 2020, the NFVC mobilised more than VND91 billion to support over 134,000 children through disease screening, congenital heart surgery and building schools and boarding houses.

She urged the fund to further promote, innovate and improve its operation to increase the number of participants and sponsors while organising programmes with a focus on giving priority to support children in flood areas, areas hit by natural disasters, children in ethnic minority areas and children with congenital heart disease.

At the same time, it should promote communications about the fund’s activities and goals to promptly detect children in extremely difficult circumstances across the country and provide them with timely support.

* Also on Sunday, in Tuy Hoa City, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh presented Lunar New Year (Tet) gifts to disadvantaged workers in the “Tet Reunion” programme held by the Labour Confederation of Phu Yen Province in coordination with the Economic Zone Authority of Phu Yen Province and the Phu Yen Provincial Youth Union.

Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh presents Tet gifts at the “Tet Reunion” programme in Phu Yen. (Photo: NDO/Trinh Ke)

The campaign has received the support of nearly 30 agencies, units and businesses. At the programme, the organisers awarded 720 gifts worth a total of more than VND540 million, of which 100 gifts were supported by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour.

* On Sunday evening, a similar event was held in Que Vo District, Bac Ninh Province, in the presence of Secretary of the Party Central Committee cum Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Internal Affairs Phan Dinh Trac.

Over 2,000 Tet gifts and 10,000 coach tickets were granted to disadvantaged workers at the event.

* On January 9 and 10, two delegations from the Youth Union Central Committee visited and presented Tet gifts to localities and units in Dong Thap Province.