The Da Nang Association for Victims of Agent Orange (AO) / Dioxin has actively set up highly practical projects in tandem with calling on in-kind support from philanthropists near and far to help AO victims to overcome their difficulties and integrate into the community.

The Da Nang Chapter of VAAV representatives hand over a charitable house to Mr. Nguyen Toi's family in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District). (Photo taken before COVID-19 pandemic). Photo: LE VAN THOM.

16 years of operation and development

Officially founded on January 22, 2005, the Da Nang Chapter of the Viet Nam Association for Victims of AO / Dioxin (VAAV) has continuously developed with many highly effective activities. Up to now, the Da Nang chapter has 7 district-level facilities, 56 commune-level and ward-level ones, and 2 centres, namely the Da Nang Center for Supporting AO victims and Disadvantaged Children and the Da Nang Centre for Steam Detoxification and Rehabilitation.

The Da Nang chapter now has 3,000 members, of whom 67 are foreigners, 6 clubs with a combined total of 175 volunteers.

In the city, there are more than 5,000 AO victims, including nearly 1,400 children, and many families have 2 to 3 AO-infected members each.

Since its inception, the Da Nang chapter has strived to raise funds by mobilizing domestic and foreign agencies, businesses, and benefactors to help AO victims with a total value of more than VND135 billion.

More support has been gone to AO victims through various programmes such as ‘Share the pain of AO victims’, ‘Spring for you’, ‘Connecting and loving’, and the ‘Compassion and justice” exhibition.

Besides, a large number of AO victims have accessed to free lodging facilities , means of transportation and learning equipment, academic scholarships, means of livelihood, skills training courses, medical examination and health consultation, sauna and detoxification treatment.

According to the Chairman of the Da Nang chapter To Nam, “The care and help for AO victims are conducted openly, transparently, with right subjects. We have always created conditions for donors to directly give gifts to AO victims”.

Work starts on a charitable house for a AO victim’s family in Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District) in 2021. Photo: LE VAN THOM

Spreading good deeds to community

Since 2011, the Da Nang Chapter of VAAV has focused on performing two key tasks: mobilizing resources to care for and help AO victims, and joining in the righteous fight for justice for AO victims through civil lawsuits, for instance, demanding the US chemical companies to take the accountability for consequences of toxic chemicals sprayed in Viet Nam.

Over the past time, the Da Nang administration have issued many documents, guidelines and orientations on the support, nurturing and care of AO victims, requiring the organisation of some activities to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the AO Disaster Day in Viet Nam and calling for more locals to join action programmes for the sake of AO victims".

Every year, many benefactors such as the Compassionate and Loving Connection Flower Club, Han Viet family, Hoa Tho Tay Volunteer Women's Group, Pho Quang Pagoda in Son Tra District, Tan Thanh Pagoda in Thanh Khe District, the Silver Shores Investment and Development Co., Ltd., and the One Dream Charity Group visit the Da Nang Center for Supporting AO Victims and Disadvantaged Children to present gifts, money, essential items to its members at Tet.

From 1961 - 1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides - 44 million litres of which were AO containing nearly 370 kilograms of dioxin - over southern Viet Nam.

As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects.

Reporting by LE VAN THOM – Translating by T.VY