Over the past decade, the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs (DOFA) has made every effort to appeal for donations from foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to help poor and disadvantaged people across the city.

A representative from COV presenting scholarships to poor school pupils in Hoa Vang District

For example, DOFA asked the US-based Children of Viet Nam (COV) organisation to provide assistance for poor single-mother families in the Hoa Phong, Hoa Khuong, and Hoa Nhon communes in Hoa Vang District. 

One of the beneficiaries is 36-year-old Nguyen Thi Thu Hien from Hoa Nhon Commune, whose husband passed away due to a disease.  Hien, therefore, has to shoulder the burden of caring for her 2 children - one 12 and the other 5. 

In 2015, COV gave this poor woman 8 million VND to help with her small trading activities which improve her family’s living conditions.  In addition, the non-profit organisation donated bicycles to her children and presented them with scholarships to help them pursue their academic dreams.

Since last year, a total of 40 poor single-mother families in Hoa Nhon Commune have enjoyed benefits from the programme. 

DOFA has also successfully incorporated humanitarian programmes during international events taking place in the city in order to raise money to help local disadvantaged people.

DOFA and the municipal Department of Tourism jointly raised funds at the Da Nang International Marathon which took place in the city on 6 August.  As a result, financial assistance of 10 million VND was given to each of 10 poor women with life-threatening diseases in Hoa Vang District.

Also at the event, Mr Dennis Zaborac from the USA, a war veteran who had been based in Da Nang, raised a total of 4,500 USD from generous donors, and the money was shared equally between 3 of Da Nang’s charities - the Association of Agent Orange Victims, the Hy Vong (Hope) Village, and the Association of Disabled People.  The kind-hearted man also donated 1,000 USD to the city’s Table Tennis Club for Disabled People.

Over the past 4 years, DOFA has cooperated with Newborns Vietnam - a British charity organisation based in Da Nang, to organise the annual ‘Cycle a Difference Vietnam Challenge Ride’ event.  The purpose is to raise funds for healthcare programmes which are being implemented at the city’s Maternity and Paediatrics Hospital.  A total of 246,000 USD was raised at the event in 2013, 146,000 USD in 2014, 208,000 USD in 2015, and 97,000 USD 2016.

Over the first half of this year, a total of 64 projects and support programmes worth over 144.8 billion VND in total were implemented in the city by foreign NGOs.  Of this figure, 11 projects and programmes, in total worth over 107.2 billion VND, came from appeals by DOFA.

Recently, DOFA successfully attracted the US-based Half the Sky Foundation which will fund the building of the OneSky care centre and kindergarten in Da Nang at a cost of more than 3.4 million USD.  Covering 3,800m² in the Thanh Vinh 1 residential area of Lien Chieu District’s Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, the new centre will offer day care services for kids who are aged from 6 to 36 months and children of workers at the local Hoa Khanh Industrial Park.