Groups of young people in Da Nang have been active in offering free meals and haircuts to the poor and those in need over recent years, thereby contributing to spreading the universal human values of love, kindness and compassion, ​​as well as inspiring others to live according to these values, as well as spreading kindness in our community.

The AND group members giving a free dinner consisting of milk, a dumpling and a bottled drinking water to poor labourers. Photo: T.V

The AND group is among these groups. Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai, 23, a resident of Hoa Khanh Nam Ward, Lien Chieu District, who is the leader of the AND group said that once a month, 70 members of his group are deployed to local streets and alleys to give 100 gifts, including milk, dumplings, and bottled drinking water, to lottery ticket sellers, the poor, cyclo riders, and those in need.

After receiving free meal from the AND group, Mrs Phan Thi Van, 45, who come from Quang Ngai Province, excitedly said: "I have gone to Da Nang to rent cheap accommodation to sell lottery tickets for nearly 3 years. Every day, in addition to paying for the three main meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I have to save money in order to send it to my family to raise my children. Therefore, I am deeply touched by visits by members of the ADN group to extend their regards with lots of love and compassion to me, and give me free foods. Although their gift is small, it helps me save tens of thousands of dong, and they help me have a delicious dinner.”

Like Mrs Van, Mrs. Ho Thi Sanh, 55, from Quang Nam Province remarked: “Members of the AND group are young, but they have a kind heart to lend a helping hand to those in need. I am so touched by their act of kindness. Everyone’s life still feels like it’s in chaos, but their meaningful assistance has given me more motivation to overcome difficulties and challenges in life."

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai said that the AND group has done such a meaningful work for 4 years. An idea of organizing a charitable event every month came from the desire of the group’s members who wanted to do something to help those in difficult circumstances in addition to their passion for cars.

One year after offering free meals and haircuts for the poor, the AND group has given more than 1,000 gifts to the disadvantaged people. Each gift includes VND 50,000 in cash, milk, a dumpling and a bottled drinking water. Such a charitable event takes place on the afternoon of the last Sunday of each month. The group’s members focus on preparing meals for poor and needy people in order to give more than 100 gifts to them across Lien Chieu and Hai Chau districts. Sometimes, the group’s members gives out all the meals, but they are ready to take money out of their own pockets to offer additional gifts to those who ask for help.

Mr. Tai confided: “We are very busy as every member of the group and myself work on our own jobs. However, we still try our utmost to spend time doing this meaningful work. I hope that my group will offer more meals to those in need, thereby contributing to inspiring more young people to carry out acts of kindness to help the poor”.

Mr Dai Ich Nam, a member of the AND group, said that every time he offers free meals to the poor, he can read joy and happiness through their eyes. That's what makes him and other members of the group to continue their efforts to help those in need, as well as organize more meaningful activities for disadvantaged people.

Sharing the same opinion as Mr. Tai, Mr. Nguyen Khoa, 31, the owner of the Nau Barber Shop, and his trainees has opened a zero –dong hair shop on the pavement  of Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in Thanh Khe District in order to give their time free of charge to give haircuts to the poor. The shop opens daily from 2:00pm until 5:30pm, and the shop’s customers are mainly poor labourers, motorbike taxi drivers, college students, and school pupils.

Khoa said: “I once dreamed of opening free of charge hair shop to help those in need with my career if I had the opportunity to do such a meaning work since I became a barber. My small act gives me the motivation to offer free haircuts to more people. Hopefully, my trainees will do the same for the needy, and the kind act that I did will continue to spread across the city."

Mr. Hoang Van Trinh, 56, a cyclo rider at the Con Traditional Market located in Hai Chau District, happily said: "By chance, I saw the zero-dong barber shop while carrying goods to my customer, I ventured into this shop to get a haircut for free. This is the second time I have made a visit to this salon. Although the haircut is free of charge, the shop is very welcoming, all the barbers are extremely friendly and professional. In addition, they are willing to provide all the advice you need on haircuts and styling. I wish the barber shop’s staff good health so that they can help those who are in the same situation as me as long as they can."

Mr. Do Van Hai, a barber of the hair salon remarked that most of the salon’s staff supported an idea of offering free haircuts to the poor suggested by Mr. Khoa. Giving free haircuts not only help people in difficult circumstances but also help him improve his professional skills, Hai added.

“Seeing the needy with the beautiful haircut after leaving our salon has made me feel happy for many days. Apart from offering free haircuts in our shop, I and my shop’s staff also participate in many volunteer programs to offer our services free of charge for children and adults in mountainous communes of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai provinces, "said Mr. Hai.

Reporting by TUONG VY – translating by H.L