Innovating the way to mobilize resources, care and support AO victims

Strengthen coordination with socio-political organizations to propagate and mobilize resources

In recent years, in addition to directly mobilizing domestic and foreign organizations and individuals to support and care for the victims, VAVA’s Central Committee has also actively cooperated with political, social and mass organizations to step up propaganda in association with resource mobilization for AO victims. At the same time, it creates conditions and guides its affiliates at grassroots to coordinate with local political, social and mass organizations to mobilize resources. With that spirit, VAVA has worked with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee to overcome the consequences of bombs and mines and toxic chemicals after war in Vietnam ( 701 Steering Committee), the Vietnam Veterans Association, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association. Coordination has been done well at all levels, and basically achieved high efficiency with practical help for the victims.

With the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, after 3 years of implementing the program (2018 - 2021), cadres of the Union at all levels have mobilized agencies, businesses, and benefactors to donate for the fund to care for and help the victims, presenting more than 54,500 gifts to the victims with difficult circumstances worth over 15.2 billion VND. The care and support for the victims have been deployed widely and regularly with the enthusiastic participation of cadres of the Union at all levels and the young generations - demonstrating the moral of "Drinking water, remember the source" of the nation.

Nearly 2 years after the program was signed, the Vietnam Young Entrepreneurs Association has mobilized its member businesses to directly support the victims in the provinces of Tien Giang, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Bac Kan, Dak Nong, Tra Vinh, Quang Binh, Tuyen Quang. Currently, it is coordinating to implement the "Border in March" Program. Over 600 million has been raised.

Charity messaging program is more and more effective

The charity texting program "Joining hands to alleviate the pain of Agent Orange" launched by VAVA’s Central Committee and the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 since 2011 has become an annual activity. 23 billion VND has been raised through the program from 2011 to 2021.

In the last two years, although the country's socio-economic situation and people's lives have faced many difficulties, due to the impact of storms, floods, natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic, the program still gained impressive results with over 1 billion VND and over 2 billion VND in 2020 and 2021, respectively. To get that result, in addition to the coordination and help of agencies and units such as: the National Humanitarian Portal 1400, the Military Industry - Telecommunications Group (Viettel), the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), MobiFone Telecommunications Corporation, Vietnam National Defense Television... VAVA’s Central Committee has also actively developed plans, set specific targets, closely followed the actual situation, directed and coordinated with its affiliates at all levels to implement and set targets for its affiliates in provinces and cities to mobilize; regularly and continuously monitored and checked work progress; encouraged, motivated and solved the arising problems.

The communication for the Program has been widely deployed, associated with the activities of the Association. In addition to propaganda through press conferences on the launch of the Program and the celebration of the Day for Victims of Agent Orange (August 10), VAVA’s Central Committee has also provided documents, photos, clips...for its affiliates in provinces and cities across the country to propagate, and at the same time coordinate with local radios and televisions to communicate about the Program for the effective mobilization of the resources.

Application of information technology in resource mobilization

In recent years, the advancement of science and technology has had a direct impact on social life. Access to information and online payments via mobile devices are becoming increasingly popular. In order for the propaganda and fundraising to keep up with the new trend, making it easy for everyone to easily access information about the Association and the victims, especially for the young generation, who are sensitive to the development of technology, on October 6, 2020, the VAVA’s Central Committee officially launched the VAVA PLUS application, which is a practical application that is easy to install on Android and IOS phones. The application interface is scientifically designed, intuitive and user-friendly. The application integrates a variety of content such as: information about the Association, articles about typical victims in overcoming the difficulties, photos, videos... Besides, users can also support the victims by buying handmade products made by the victims, etc.

In the coming time, VAVA will continue to implement the donation project in the form of ShopeePay e-wallet. This is one of the leading e-wallets in Vietnam, linked with most of the domestic banks as well as popular international payment cards. The Shopee/ShopeePay application helps users easily grasp the Association's information and support for the victims. Donations are publicly and continuously updated.

In the time to come, the socio-economic situation will still see many difficulties, while implementing "safe adaptation, flexibility, effective control of the Covid-19 pandemic", resource mobilization, therefore, needs to continue to be innovated, conducted flexibly, creatively, appropriately and effectively, focusing on the following main contents:

Firstly: Continue to promote and innovate the propaganda and mobilization of resources for the Fund for AO victims through various and appropriate forms, both in newspapers, on radio, etc. in-person propaganda and meetings of associations and unions. Paying attention to both domestic and foreign propaganda, through visits and work of individuals and NGOs. In particular, it is necessary to proactively prepare early propaganda contents about the Charity texting program of "Joining hands to alleviate the pain of Agent Orange" and the Day for the Victims of Agent Orange (August 10) before the third quarter of each year for the best results after the Program is launched.

VAVA’s affiliates and cadres at all levels should regularly monitor, and timely grasp new information and documents of the Central Committee of the Association on the implementation of charity messaging and resource mobilization activities on the Association's website (vava.org.vn) and on Print and online Agent Orange Magazine (dientudacam.vn), and use them as propaganda materials on their electronic information pages (websites), facebook, etc.

Second, the mobilization of resources to care for and help the victims is a "measurement" of the effectiveness of the association's activities. In the coming time, along with mobilizing resources to take care and help the victims by giving money, gifts ... on the occasion of August 10, the annual Lunar New Year; irregular subsidies for difficulties..., it is necessary to switch to effective and sustainable forms of support, such as regular nourishing in the community; house building or renovation; vocational training; providing scholarships, capital, employment... so that victims can overcome difficulties to develop their household economy, and gradually escape from poverty.

Thirdly, in order to improve the effectiveness of support, cadres and levels of the association need to strengthen connections and coordination with businesses and benefactors to conduct surveys to firmly grasp the situation of the victims, especially the ones with extremely difficult circumstances, so that they can understand more, empathize, provide direct, appropriate and effective support to the victims and spread their actions in the community.

Fourthly, in the face of the complicated and prolonged development of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country and the world, along with traditional forms of mobilization, it is necessary to strengthen forms of propaganda and mobilization online, especially with foreign organizations and partners; increase the application of scientific and technical achievements, information technology; diversify forms of advocacy and charity messaging  through App and e-wallet of the Central Committee of the Association... to increase resources for the Fund, thereby helping the victims in a more practical, effective and sustainable manner.