"Tet of love" for Agent Orange victims

Attention from Party and State leaders and all levels and sectors

In the days before the 2024 Lunar New Year, the work of caring for policy families, people with revolutionary contributions, social protection beneficiaries, etc. on Tet occasion has been closely directed by the Party, the State, all levels and sectors. On November 23, 2023, the 13th Party Central Committee’s Secretariat issued Directive No. 26-CT/TW "On celebrating the Lunar New Year"; on December 26, ex-President Vo Van Thuong signed Decision No. 1583/QD-CTN "On presenting gifts to people with revolutionary contributions on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2024"; On January 14, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Official Dispatch No. 03/CD-TTg "On taking care of people's lives and ensuring social welfare for people and laborers during the Lunar New Year 2024",...

Accordingly, the Government and relevant agencies have focused on reviewing and grasping the living conditions of policy beneficiaries, people with revolutionary contributions, people in difficult circumstances in remote areas, ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, etc. to direct appropriate care and support. Localities have seriously implemented the payment of social allowances to social protection beneficiaries; at the same time, mobilized resources to ensure that "all policy beneficiaries receive gifts before Tet". In addition, many provinces and cities have spent hundreds of billions of VND from the budget to care for and improve the material and spiritual life of disadvantaged people during the Lunar New Year.

Along with implementing the regimes prescribed by the State, the Party Committees and authorities of provinces and cities always pay attention to directing and creating conditions for VAVA to mobilize organizations, businesses and philanthropists to give gifts to victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. The work of mobilizing resources from the social community has been widely deployed through many programs, such as: "Tet of love, Spring of kindness", "Tet of Reunion, Spring of sharing", "Market of compassion"... Through these programs, there have appeared many examples of kindness and compassion from organizations and individuals, making social life warmer, bringing about a better life for the victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin nationwide have received the compassion from many leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front who directly came to visit and give them gifts.

Efforts of the Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels: Connecting and Spreading the kind-hearted minds

To prepare for Tet, from the beginning of the year, the Associations for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels have proactively developed a plan to mobilize resources to improve the effectiveness of caring for and helping the victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. According to reports from provinces and cities, during the 2024 Lunar New Year, victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin nationwide received Tet gifts (including cash and in-kind) worth VND 210,963,569,000. In particular, the Central Committee of VAVA presented gifts worth VND 369 million. The Presidents and Vice Presidents of VAVA directly presented gifts to victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Thanh Hoa, Can Tho, etc.

Many provinces and cities have spent budgets and mobilized organizations, businesses, and philanthropists to donate gifts worth tens of billions of VND. Some provinces also presented Gratitude Houses, wheelchairs... on this occasion. Notable provinces and cities of this movement are: Hai Phong with 13,121 gifts worth 27.696 billion VND; Thai Binh with a total of 25,774 gifts worth 13.4 billion VND; Nam Dinh with 10.916 billion VND; Quang Ninh with 10.095 billion VND; Can Tho with a total of 10.047 billion VND; Hanoi with 15,997 gifts worth 8.37 billion VND; Thanh Hoa with 24,494 gifts worth 7.5 billion VND; Bac Giang with 6.6 billion... Notably, some mountainous provinces with difficulties still recorded good results in the work of mobilizing resources, such as: Dak Nong with 2.9 billion VND; Tuyen Quang with 1.567 billion VND; Ha Giang with 1.071 billion VND...

In the effort to bring "Tet of love" to the victims of Agent Orange, many organizations and individuals have become typical examples, such as: Hai Phong Electric Cable Company, Thanh Hoa Telecommunication Company, Saigon Development Joint Stock Company...; the family of the late General Nguyen Chi Thanh; the family of Mr. Nguyen Van Phung, the family of Mr. Le Minh Tri in Kien Giang; People's Artist Le Thuy, Mr. Huynh Quoc Doanh in Saigon; Ms. Tran Thi Hien in Hai Phong, etc. They have sponsored and mobilized gifts for the victims of Agent Orange worth hundreds of millions of VND...

 Depending on the financial resources of the State, organizations, or the benefactors, different gifts, including: cash, gift bags, necessities, food, essential items for daily life...have been given to the victims. They are all practical gifts for the victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to celebrate the traditional Tet. Associations for victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin at all levels have become extended arms connecting, spreading loving hearts, creating a combined strength of the whole country for "Joining hands to ease the pain of Agent Orange", sharing the love of the community, bringing Tet to the families of the victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. That is also the basis and our belief to continue building a strong national solidarity bloc; making "Our country increasingly developed, prosperous, civilized and prosperous; our people increasingly prosperous; every family and every people happy, everything go smoothly" - as the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's New Year wishes for the Year of the Dragon 2024./.

By Manh Dung