Mrs. Le Thi Tam, President of the Da Nang Association for Charity and Protection of Children's Rights, has devoted her whole life to social work and taken it as joy and happiness. Until now, despite her age, she still works hard to bring warm homes of love and smiles to children, and sows happiness to the unfortunate.

Mrs. Tam during a charity trip to give gifts to children in remote areas. Photo: MINH TAM

After retirement from the city's Women Union, she continues to participate in social work with the title of President of the Association for Charity and Protection of Children's Rights of Da Nang.

She said that being trusted by society, and being able to continue working and share love with everyone makes her healthy and happy. Social volunteer work is not about asking - giving, but it is also "fate".

“Witnessing many unfortunate lives change after receiving help and trust from the community and benefactors, I try even harder to better do charity work in order to help more people in need, thereby, contributing to spreading the beautiful image of solidarity and kindness” Mrs. Tam confided.

Over the past years, Mrs. Tam could not remember how many trips she has made to poor families to survey and give financial support as well as the number of thematic talks and communication sessions on child protection.

She has got involved in receiving, directing and resolving 52 petitions and cases of child rights violations (missing, child custody disputes, violence, abuse, abandonment, birth certificates, etc.) with specific activities such as support, relief, receiving initial care for abandoned children, and psychological rehabilitation counseling for abused and violent children

She has also contributed opinions about legal documents and policies related to children such as the draft report on the annual implementation of children's rights, the draft dossier proposing the issuance of the Decree on Social Work, and the draft documents submitted to the City People's Council on policies to support heart surgery for children with congenital heart disease.

All her life, she only wants to help people in difficult circumstances to reduce their hardships and improve their lives. Photo: MINH TAM

Every year, she and her colleagues mobilise and donate tens of billions of VND to support the construction and repair of houses and sanitation facilities for poor families and households with difficult housing conditions; as well as provide hundreds of means of livelihood (motorbikes, breeding animals and sugarcane juice carts) worth billions of VND in total to help poor families with children.

They give hundreds of wheelchairs, totaling billions of VND, to people with disabilities and people with strokes; donate tens of thousands of gifts to the poor and children on the occasion of Tet, International Children's Day; and present thousands of scholarships and school supplies to needy pupils and students.

She works hard to maintain sustainable sponsorship relationships with 6 non-governmental organisations to implement 10 meaningful projects, including the project "Supporting education for pupils and students in difficult circumstances in Da Nang" sponsored by Siloam Organisation.

Most recently, she and other members of the Association have offered necessities and goods, with a total amount of nearly VND 700 million, to 725 households in Hoa Vang District and Lien Chieu District affected by heavy rains as a result of storm No. 5; as well as supported goods and cash worth nearly VND1.7 billion in total, for people in the Northern provinces affected by Storm No. 3.

Those are the gifts and the amount of support that have been counted, but it is difficult to fully express the sympathy, love, and sharing that she has mobilised from individuals and organisations at home and abroad to support the community.

The charitable footsteps and the benevolent heart of the association's president are not only imprinted in Da Nang but also on all the roads of the mountainous districts of Dong Giang, Tay Giang, Nam Tra My and many remote communes in Quang Nam Province as well as many provinces and cities across the country.

Reporting by MINH TAM - Translating by M.DUNG