Every Saturday morning, around 10 students from universities and colleges across Da Nang visit the ‘Song Doc Lap’ (Independent Living) Club under the management of the city’s Centre for Social Work Services to teach and play with children with intellectual disabilities there.

Final year student Tran Thi Anh Van from the city’s University of Foreign Language Studies has taken care of disabled children at the municipal Centre for Social Protection for 3 years.

Thanks to their great efforts, patience, necessary knowledge and special love for these disadvantaged children, the kind-hearted people wholeheartedly help the children gradually reintegrate to their normal lives. As a result, many of them have shown their outstanding improvements in their physical and mental progress.

Mrs Truong Thi Nhu Hoa, Director of the Centre, said that over recent years have seen the increasing number of young people, especially pupils and students to actively become involved in this meaningful social activity. Their purpose is to help these disadvantaged children there to promote their overall physical and mental development.

Thanks to the great help from the community, the Da Nang Village of Hope has still provided care for hundreds of orphaned children although it has not been granted financial aid from the city budget for many years.

Mr Phan Thanh Vinh noted local markets last year provided 10 fresh meals each month for the village’s children. Meanwhile, a charity business gave enough rice for the children for one year.

Most notably, the village has become a regular venue for community activities of young people over the past years.

According to the municipal Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs, in recent years, appeals for public donations to help disadvantaged children have been made effectively.

Last year, a total of around 1,000 gifts were raised for children through such charitable programmes as ‘Spring for You’, ‘Action Month for Children’ and ‘Full-moon Night’.

It is worth noting that in addition to financial aid from businesses, insurance companies, organisations and individuals, these programmes have received much attention and enthusiastic support from young people.