Activities to ensure sufficient support of all kinds for Tet (traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year) for the poor, disadvantaged people Da Nang-wide are being deployed on track by local agencies and units in an attempt to bring a warm and happy Tet to every family.

Small traders from the Han Market give Tet gifts to disabled people selling lottery tickets in the city. Photo: T.Y

Multiply the joy of spring day

Nestle in a small alley on Hoang Dieu Street, Binh Thuan Ward, Hai Chau District, a small house owned by Mr. Bui Van Quy has nothing new but piles of burlap piled up next to the sewing machine. Quy said the meager income from sewing job at home is only enough for his family to cover their living expenses while Tet preparations have yet to made due to his family’s financial difficulties.

For many years of making ends meet, his family has not waited for Tet with true eagerness. Only a few kilograms of meat soaked in fish sauce, one of the most popular Tet dishes in Viet Nam is available at his home at every Tet.

What made Quy happy these days were Tet gifts he received from the local government. “My family is very happy because each gift that comes to our family on this occasion is very precious”, said Quy.

Under the initial plan, ahead of Tet, the Binh Thuan Ward authorities are mobilising as many financial sources as possible to give about 200 Tet gifts to financially-struggling households, with an average of VND500,000 each. At the same time, each business, organisation and individual registers to make donations at an amount of VND6-12 million/year/person.

In a similar vein, in Thanh Khe District, timely support for Tet gifts for policy families, social protection beneficiaries is also the goal that the Thanh Khe District People's Committee sets during Tet.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Cong, the Vice Chairman of Thanh Khe District People's Committee said that the locality has planned to donate Tet gifts for social policy, poor and disadvantaged households and beneficiaries of social allowances. It is expected that nearly VND8.5 billion worth of Tet gifts will be handed out to the poor, more than VND3 billion come from the district’s social security fund in 2023.

In addition, district will spend some of the budget and strongly mobilise sponsors to give Tet gifts to the disabled, the blind, former youth volunteers, members of the Patriotic Prison Association with a grant of VND300,000/person, people at risk of starvation with 15kg rice/person, young people living under the city’s poverty thresholds enlisting in the army with VND700,000 - VND1 million/person, children in extremely difficult circumstances with VND300,000/person.

Social welfare guaranteed

As reported by Mr. Ngo Xuan Thang, the Chairman of the Da Nang chapter of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee Ngo Xuan Thang , nearly 15,000 gifts will be given out to poor, disadvantaged households and special subjects affected by COVID-19 at the ‘Spring love 2023’ programme alone will give nearly 15,000 gifts totaling over VND7 billion.

In addition, Tet gifts will go to the Co Tu ethnic group in Hoa Bac and Hoa Phu communes and Chinese-Vietnamese households in Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District.

According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Thang, this year, the post-COVID production situation is not really stable. Many workers lost their jobs in the days leading up to Tet and many businesses suffered losses in business. Unfavourable throughout the year also significantly affected residents’ lives and the city’s economic performances.

Therefore, right from November, his agency has developed a plan to ensure Tet gifts and donations for the people, with a special heed to social policy households, the poor and disadvantaged, and those who lost labor capacity. “This significantly contributes to the effective implementation of social security programmes in the city”, said Thang.

In a supportive move targeting the disadvantaged prior to Tet, the Da Nang chapter of the Viet Nam Red Cross Society is expected to give 4,500 Tet gifts, with each worth 1 millio to people living in 28 communes and wards heavily affected by natural disasters in 2022.

In particular, in the years ahead, this agency’s all-level chapters will simultaneously organise activities to ensure a fun, cozy Tet for people, such as Tet Fair with a scale of 40 stalls; the so-called ‘zero-VND goods stalls; giving ‘banh chung’(square glutinous rice cakes) to lottery ticket sellers, street vendors, under-treatment patients, students, and workers staying in the city; painting and repairing houses for those who have no working capacity, lonely elderly people; subsidizing transport fees for internal migrant workers living in difficult circumstances to go back home for family reunions at Tet...

As revealed by Le Thi Nhu Hong, the Chairman of the Da Nang chapter of the Viet Nam Red Cross Association, focus is placed on supporting the poor, the disadvantaged, the vulnerable, disabled children, orphans and poor patients.

In addition to supporting Tet gifts according to regulations, associations at all levels are taking the initiative to implement humane activities such as free-of-charge hair cuts, photo taking and meals to those who are being cared for at social protection facilities, giving Tet gifts to pediatric cancer patients being treated at hospitals across the city.

Reporting by TIEU YEN - Translating by A.THU