Quynh Luu: Taking care of Tet celebrations for the poor.

(Baonghean) - With the motto "everyone, every family should have a joyful, warm, and complete Tet holiday," each agency and organization in Quynh Luu has carried out practical activities to take care of Tet for policy beneficiary families, the poor, and other disadvantaged groups...

An Thai Pagoda donated gifts to underprivileged students who excelled in their studies in Quynh Long commune (Quynh Luu district).

We visited the family of Ms. Mai Thi Ha in Hamlet 8 (Ngoc Son Commune, Quynh Luu District), a poor household. Her husband passed away early, and she herself suffers from a mobility disability, forcing her to struggle alone to support her family. The lives of her and her children are always precarious; their dilapidated house is in need of repair. In September 2012, through the "Livelihood Support" project of the Provincial Association for the Protection of Disabled People and Orphans, channeled through the Quynh Luu District Association for the Protection of Disabled People and Orphans and the Ngoc Son Commune Fatherland Front Committee, her family received 7 million VND in support. Borrowing additional funds from relatives, she bought a breeding cow. With technical assistance from the commune's agricultural committee in caring for the cow, after more than two years of care, the cow gave birth to two calves. Ms. Ha sold the two calves for 24 million VND. Thanks to this, she had money to repair her dilapidated house. Celebrating Tet in her new home, Ms. Ha was moved: "Thanks to the support of departments and agencies from the province to the district, my family has escaped poverty and can celebrate Tet in a new house."

To ensure a happy Lunar New Year for the poor and families entitled to preferential policies, starting in December 2014, the District People's Committee had already planned and assigned tasks to all levels and sectors in the area to proactively conduct surveys of poor households, understand the lives of the people, and prepare support for these households...

To ensure thorough care for the poor during Tet (Lunar New Year), the district has instructed all communes to accurately and fully identify households in need of assistance. In addition, it has called on officials, civil servants, teachers, and members of the armed forces to donate at least one day's salary; households residing in the district to donate at least 10,000 VND; and businesses, philanthropists, agencies, and units to contribute a portion of their profits and welfare funds to support the poor, aiming for each poor household to receive a gift worth 500,000 VND. The fundraising and distribution of Tet gifts to poor households will be completed before February 8, 2015 (the 20th day of the 12th lunar month).

In particular, to spread awareness of activities caring for the poor during Tet (Lunar New Year), on January 23rd, the People's Committee and the Fatherland Front Committee of the district organized a program to interact and share with the poor, people with disabilities, children with special difficulties, and launched the "Tet for the Poor" fundraising campaign.

At the exchange event, many businesses donated tens of millions of VND to help the poor celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year). As of January 23, 2015, the total amount of donations to the "Tet for the Poor" Fund of the district had reached 1.604 billion VND, exceeding the planned target of 1.7 billion VND. In addition, district-level departments, agencies, and organizations also implemented various measures to help the poor enjoy the Spring Festival and celebrate Tet. For example, the District Fatherland Front Committee coordinated with temples in the district to donate gifts to particularly disadvantaged families and underprivileged students. A notable example is An Thai Temple in Quynh Long commune, which, in coordination with the local government, appealed to businesses, organizations, and individuals to donate 100 gift packages, each worth 300,000 VND, to poor households and students who excelled academically despite difficult circumstances. Meanwhile, Dong Yen Pagoda (Quynh Thuan commune) collaborated with the Nguyen Quang charitable Buddhist group (Ho Chi Minh City) to present 50 gifts to poor but studious students in the commune on the 15th day of the 12th lunar month…

The Quỳnh Lưu District Youth Union, since 2013, has implemented the "Warm Winter" program. Under this program, each Youth Union branch in the communes and towns is directed to donate at least two warm blankets to families receiving social welfare benefits and underprivileged children striving to excel in their studies. In addition, they organize fundraising and donations of food, clothing, shoes, books, and school supplies for poor people and children in mountainous and disadvantaged areas of the district; and collect packaging and tarpaulins to support people in protecting their livestock from the cold. Furthermore, each Youth Union branch establishes at least one volunteer youth team to assist 2-3 disadvantaged farming households in coping with the cold weather, helping people build livestock shelters, charitable houses, and roads. To date, the Youth Union branches have donated 130 gift packages to the poor, worth 22 million VND.

Mr. Ho Ngoc Dung, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Luu District, said: "As a district with diverse terrain, a large population, and a significant number of poor and socially disadvantaged people, for many years, to ensure social security, the district has directed departments, communes, and towns to strengthen activities to care for people during Tet, especially ethnic minority households in mountainous communes and fishermen in coastal communes. Along with that, we have intensified inspections of food safety and hygiene during Tet, ensured security and order, and organized cultural and artistic activities... ensuring that people can celebrate Tet joyfully, safely, and economically."

Minh Quan