VIETNAMESE OVERSEAS
On May 26th 2021, the Prime Minister signed a decision to establish Covid-19 Vaccine Fund in order to receive and use aids and contributions, either in cash or vaccines themselves, to come from hospitals, domestic and foreign organizations, individuals and other sources.
On May 26th 2021, the Prime Minister signed a decision to establish Covid-19 Vaccine Fund in order to receive and use aids and contributions, either in cash or vaccines themselves, to come from hospitals, domestic and foreign organizations, individuals and other sources. The funds will be used for purchasing or importing Covid-19 vaccines, as well as research into, and production of their similarities inside Vietnam.
At the launch of the Fund on June 5th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed: “In the fight against Covid-19, the consensus of people is the key to finding a way out of the pandemic and a path to our normal, peaceful, secured life”. He also expressed his belief that “ the Covid-19 vaccine Fund will receive support from all walks of life in both our country and overseas ”.
Reality shows that, although heavily affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, overseas Vietnamese people have joined forces with their homeland, dictated by their patriotism. They have made great contributions and practical efforts to Vietnam’s Covid-10 prevention and control, especially their fund raising for the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund.
When starting his office in Russia, Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi very soon launched a fund raising drive for the Vietnam Vaccine Fund. Thus, all the staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and other agencies donated to it a day’s salary of their own. The Vietnamese Association in Russia donated 1 million Rubles ($13,175) while Vietnamese leaders and workers at Veliky Luki Meat Processing Factory, Pskov Province collectively donated 10,000 USD. The Vietnamese Association in Russia is continuing to organize donations and the money will be used to purchase Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine to be sent to Vietnam.
In Germany, many Vietnamese associations, individuals and German friends have made their donations so as to join forces in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam. The October Arts Club and the Vietnamese Student Association in Germany have also contributed 2,150 Euros.
In Australia, the Vietnamese Embassy has launched a fund raising campaign to help the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund. The Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association in Australia soon circulated the document from the Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association calling on business members around the world, whose “patriotism and compatriotism” are unconditional, to join the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund. The Vietnamese Association in Australia promptly responded to and circulated the Government and Fatherland Front’s appeal to the Vietnamese student community in Australia to contribute resources and fight the pandemic side by side with their homeland.
In Laos, the Vietnamese community is also calling for donations to, and joining hands with the Covid-19 Vaccine Fund. Every overseas Vietnamese person wants to make a small contribution to the fight against the pandemic.
In Singapore, the Vietnamese Embassy early called upon all officers and employees, even their organizations and relatives, of the Vietnamese community there to lend a hand. After 3 days, the Embassy had raised more than 15,000 Singapore dollars (more than 260 million VND). They have set up a connection point for directly receiving donations from organizations and individuals around the area; they even provide necessary addresses to help potential benefactors. The first wave of donations will last from June 4th to June 20th 2021.
In Cambodia, the Consulate General of Vietnam in Preah Sihanouk province and the Executive Board of the Khmer-Vietnam Association of Preah Sihanouk province launched a drive to support the Vaccine Fund for prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic in Vietnam. In the morning of June 8th alone, more than 2,000 USD were collected. Specifically, Mrs. Trinh Thi My Trang (Kim Chang), who owns a jewelry store in Preah Sihanouk, donated 200 USD and Mr. Huynh Quang Ran, who is a fridge engineer working in the city of Preah Sihanouk, donated 500 USD.
In the past few days, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has arranged to receive money and in-kind donations from overseas Vietnamese. On May 31st, Steve Bui, Chairman of the Financial Investment and Consulting Group based in Japan, President of Steve Bui & Friends Foundation, which specializes in charity, handed nearly 1,000 mineral spray bottles and 9,000 N95 facial masks to physicians in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh; their gift was worth nearly 300 million VND.
On June 1st, the Association of Vietnamese Overseas Compatriots in Macao (China) donated more than 131 million VND to the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front.
On June 7th, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese held a ceremony to receive an aid of 100 million VND from Mrs. Phan Bich Thien, Vice President of the Vietnamese Association in Hungary.
The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has up to now transferred approximately 100,000,000 VND and 5 tons of rice from Canadian expatriate Nguyen Hoai Bac to Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.
The charity of overseas Vietnamese attests to their ardent patriotism and whole-hearted support for their homeland. Vietnamese expatriates from all over the world have acted—and are still doing so--as alink to connect people to people and create a solid source of remittances for their Fatherland. As their compatriots are now at risk, overseas Vietnamese are ready to contribute to its security, joining hands with the Party and government to overcome the pandemic
Phuong Mai