Mid-Autumn Festival: Sharing Love

Heading towards the flood-affected areas

At the programMid-Autumn Festival The event organized by the Office of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation and People's Council for children of officials, civil servants, and workers on the evening of September 12th did not feature lion dances or lively cultural performances like in previous years. Instead, the children watched films about the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi (Typhoon No. 3) that people in the northern provinces were suffering, showing scenes of people, houses, fields, offices, and schools buried in flash floods…

The children then wrote heartfelt messages on small cards and donated their Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to send to children and teenagers in flood-affected areas of the northern provinces.

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This year's Mid-Autumn Festival program was very meaningful; the activities helped the children of officials, civil servants, and employees of the unit learn more about compassion and sharing for the community.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong – Deputy Chief of Office, Chairman of the Trade Union of the Delegation of National Assembly Deputies and Provincial People's Council

According to Ms. Le Thi Nguyet, Head of the Children and Gender Equality Department (Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs), this year, the plan to organize a complete and warm Mid-Autumn Festival for children has been meticulously prepared by all levels of government, organizations, and schools in the province. However, sharing in the losses and suffering caused by...storms and floodsIn response to the concerns of the people in the northern provinces and cities, the Provincial People's Committee has issued a directive on organizing the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival in the province, in line with the nationwide effort to help the people of the northern provinces overcome the damage caused by Typhoon No. 3.

Accordingly, the organization of Mid-Autumn Festival activities in 2024 must ensure safety, economy, substance, and avoid ostentation. The Mid-Autumn Festival program and festivities should be concise, excluding artistic performances, singing, dancing, and lion/dragon dances. The main focus should be on: reading the President's letter to children on the occasion of the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival; and giving Mid-Autumn gifts to children in special circumstances, children from poor and near-poor households, children in ethnic minority areas, remote areas, orphans, and children affected by natural disasters and floods. Provincial and district-level agencies should not send delegations to attend Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at the grassroots level, except for agencies and organizations that provide gifts and support to children in special circumstances at the local level.

Following the directives of the Provincial People's Committee, in recent days, most agencies, units, schools, and residential areas have shortened their Mid-Autumn Festival programs, switched to gift-giving, or canceled them altogether, diverting the funds intended for such events to support people in areas affected by floods and storms. Many schools have also organized fundraising activities for students to support their peers who are facing difficulties and losses due to the floods and storms.

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This year, the school and the parent association agreed not to hold Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in the classrooms in order to donate the funds to support those affected by the floods and storms. During recent class time, my colleagues and I have spent time talking with the students about the losses and suffering caused by Typhoon No. 3 to the people in the northern provinces and cities, sharing stories about the spirit of "mutual support"... to help them understand the spirit of solidarity and a sense of responsibility towards the community.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dieu – homeroom teacher of class 7A16, Ha Huy Tap Secondary School (Vinh City)

In residential areas, instead of enthusiastically preparing gifts and giving out prizes like in previous Mid-Autumn Festivals, many places have unanimously agreed to allocate these funds to support people in the North in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters.

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The neighborhood groups unanimously agreed to organize a simple Mid-Autumn Festival celebration for the children, and the remaining money would be donated to people in the northern provinces. Not only the parents but also the children were happy and agreed with this decision.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Do - Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of the Front Committee of Block 7, Nghi Tan Ward (Cua Lo Town)

Warmth and love

While the whole country is focusing on the flood victims in the North, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival may not be as dazzling with lanterns or as lively and bustling as usual, but for disadvantaged children throughout the province, the moon festival is still full of meaning because they have received the care and love of the entire community.

Recently, the Nghe An Provincial Children's Protection Fund organized the "Loving Mid-Autumn Festival 2024" program, giving gifts to 153 underprivileged children.autism spectrum disorder, disabled and orphaned children at the Nghe An Provincial Children's Protection Fund, the Niềm Tin Early Intervention Center for Children with Special Needs, students at the Provincial Center for Education and Vocational Training for People with Disabilities, and the SOS Children's Village Vinh.

According to Mr. Phan Sy Hien, Deputy Director of the Provincial Children's Protection Fund, this year's Mid-Autumn Festival saw the Fund, in coordination with agencies, organizations, and philanthropists, donate over 400 gifts worth more than 190 million VND to children in extremely difficult circumstances throughout the province. This aims to instill in their families faith in the good things in society and life, contributing to spreading the message of "Sharing love, multiplying happiness."

Districts, cities, and towns also organized many activities to bring a warm Mid-Autumn Festival to disadvantaged children. In Hung Nguyen district – home to over 27,800 children, including more than 490 children with special circumstances and nearly 1,790 children at risk of falling into special circumstances – the Party Committee, government, and various departments and organizations of the district organized the distribution of 70 gifts to disadvantaged children in Hung Yen Bac commune and Lam Bich Shelter. Communes and towns in the district also had meaningful visits and gift-giving activities, such as the Women's Union of Xuan Lam commune connecting with a business and a charitable group to distribute gifts including mooncakes, rice, and school supplies to 15 disadvantaged children in the riverside area; the Youth Union of Hung Tan commune distributed 8 gifts to disadvantaged children in the commune...

In Quynh Luu district, the District People's Committee organized a gift-giving program for children in extremely difficult circumstances in An Hoa commune, distributing 150 gift packages to children in extremely difficult circumstances in several localities in the district with a total cost of 125 million VND. The Quynh Luu District Youth Union also coordinated with the District Association for the Protection of Children's Rights and the Association for the Disabled, and the District Association for the Blind to donate 66 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to disabled children and children in extremely difficult circumstances in the district with a total cost of 25 million VND.

In Vinh City, the City Youth Union organized a visit and presented 115 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to children receiving treatment at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. This included 20 cash gifts for children in particularly difficult circumstances, aiming to encourage them and give them strength to overcome their illnesses and recover their health soon.

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Currently, the province has over 926,000 children, including 13,330 children in special circumstances; nearly 131,844 children at risk of falling into special circumstances and children in other circumstances, including 10,763 children with various disabilities. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the occasions when the whole society shows its solidarity and concern for children in difficult circumstances. It can be seen that, no matter where or how the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated—whether joyful or somber, modern or traditional—the value of this children's festival, this festival of family reunion, will never change when each person understands and appreciates the love, care, and sharing within the community.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nam - Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.

Minh Quan