Illustration photo. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – With the Lunar New Year fast approaching (Feb. 6-14), a string of programmes have been organised across the country in support of underprivileged people.
In the southern province of Binh Duong, more than 600 gifts, each worth 500,000 VND (22.5 USD), have been presented to disadvantaged children in Phu An, An Dien and An Tay communes in Ben Cat town, under a programme launched by the provincial children’s sponsor fund.
The programme’s organising board also handed over 100 million VND (4,500 USD) to the Ho Hao Hon Elementary School in Ben Cat town to build a playground for students.
As many as 1,000 children in nine districts and cities in Binh Duong will also receive gifts at an art performance scheduled for January 14, 2016, which is also held to mobilise more support from businesses and agencies.
Meanwhile, more than 30.6 billion VND (1.8 million USD) was donated by nearly 170 units and enterprises in the central province of Nghe An on January 9 to aid local poor people.
Although the poverty rate in Nghe An, has dropped from 10.28 percent to 7.5 percent in 2015, there still have been 58,200 poor households in the locality.
In order to bring a warm Tet to the poor, Nghe An officials have called for the support of organisations, individuals and enterprises.
In 2014 alone, a total of 34.7 trillion VND (1.65 billion USD) was allocated to underprivileged people nationwide, 30.8 trillion VND of which came from the State budget and the remainder from other resources.
The rate of poor households dropped from 14.2 percent in 2010 to 2 percent in 2014 thanks to national poverty alleviation efforts.
Vietnam aims to reduce the rate of poor households by 1-1.5 percent each year under updated standards of poverty between 2016 and 2020, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.-VNA
