Officially launching the 2014 Month of Action for the Poor.

On the morning of October 17th, in Hanoi, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front launched the 2014 Month of Action for the Poor, running from October 17th to November 18th.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, Member of the Political Bureau, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and Head of the Central Campaign Committee for "Day for the Poor," stated that over the past 14 years, with its profound political, social, and humanitarian significance, the campaign has been actively supported by all levels, sectors, businesses, people of all walks of life in the country, Vietnamese people living abroad, and many foreign agencies, organizations, and businesses in Vietnam.

The campaign's results have made a practical contribution to caring for the poor, contributing to the cause of poverty eradication, strengthening national unity, and contributing to the overall achievements of the country.

The results of the "Day for the Poor" campaign not only contributed to material care but also brought joy and opportunities to escape poverty for millions of poor households, deepening the superiority of the socialist system, strengthening national unity, and making an important contribution to achieving the goal of sustainable poverty reduction, in response to the Millennium Development Goals for poverty eradication set by the United Nations.

The results of the Campaign for the Poor reflect the leadership's concern at all levels of the Party, the coordination of all levels of government, the efforts and proactive coordination of unified action by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels and their member organizations, and especially the strong response and participation of organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally.

Illustrative image. (Source: VNA)

With the results achieved in the past period, the people have acknowledged and international friends have highly appreciated the organization's efforts in helping many poor households rise out of poverty and stabilize their lives.

The Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front stated that, with the attention of the Party and the State, Vietnam's poverty reduction efforts have achieved significant results. However, according to data from the National Steering Committee for Poverty Reduction, the poverty rate in Vietnam at the end of 2013 was still 7.6%.

People in remote areas, former resistance bases, ethnic minority regions, coastal areas, border regions, and islands still face many difficulties in life and need stronger and more effective assistance and support from the Party, the State, and the entire society.

Chairman Nguyen Thien Nhan called on all levels, sectors, compatriots and soldiers nationwide, Vietnamese people abroad, businesses, and foreign organizations and individuals to continue strongly supporting the "Day for the Poor" campaign with practical actions, helping poor households and poor regions, especially those in particularly difficult areas, to rise up and achieve sustainable poverty reduction; and in the immediate future, to work together to achieve the results of the peak month of the "Day for the Poor" campaign in 2014.

This is a practical action to study and follow the ideology and moral example of Ho Chi Minh, bringing joy and happiness to the poor, contributing to the continued implementation of the Party's 11th Congress Resolution, for "a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, fairness, and civilization."

Immediately after the launching ceremony, agencies, organizations, and individuals sent more than 3.4 billion VND to the Central Fund for the Poor.

The "Day for the Poor" campaign has always been identified as one of the key tasks of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and its member organizations.

As a result, in the first nine months of 2014, organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally donated over 1,987 billion VND to the poor and impoverished areas. From this resource and the local support of the community, 11,122 houses were built or repaired; capital was provided to 55,000 poor households; and medical examinations and treatment were provided to over 178,000 poor patients…

Cumulatively, from the launch of the "Day for the Poor" campaign until the end of September 2014, the whole country had raised over 34 trillion VND; directly supporting social welfare programs in poor localities to build infrastructure projects amounted to 25,301 billion VND.

According to VNA