Imprints of kindness

In the past year, Red Cross Society (RCS) at all levels in the province have effectively implemented movements, campaigns, models and projects with many apparent achievements, creating a spillover effect in the community.

Leaders of the Provincial RCS and Chi Lang District RSC present gifts to children of soldiers in difficult circumstances at the Training – Mobile Battalion under the Provincial Border Guard Command

In 2023, the total value of activities through movements, campaigns, models and projects of RCS at all levels in the province has reached nearly 55 billion VND (up over 7 billion VND compared to 2022), contributing to supporting poor households and people in difficult circumstances get to improve their lives.

Introducing humanitarian addresses to organizations and benefactors

One of the outstanding imprints of RCS at all levels in 2023 is the Campaign “Each individual is associated with a humanitarian address”. With the motto “introducing humanitarian addresses to organizations and benefactors”, RCS officials at grassroots level surveyed and got the information of each situation, thereby, they advised the government at grassroots level and introduced to with the those are in need of help to organizations and benefactors in order to ensure effectiveness, practicality and timeliness. Accordingly, in the past year, RCS at all levels in the province have maintained and newly attached a total of nearly 400 humanitarian addresses for regular, long-term support to households in considerably difficult circumstances, including presenting 14 savings books, each worth from 10 – 50 million VND; coordinating with Thien Tam Foundation of Vingroup sent 13 orphans to the Center for Charity and Youth Talent Development (Bac Ninh) and awarded scholarships to 82 poor and orphaned students who overcame difficulties in studying.

RCS at all levels have coordinated and mobilized agencies, businesses, benefactors inside and outside the province to support 2,600 disadvantaged families, families at risk and patients with serious diseases, victims of Agent Orange… with a value of 1.8 billion VND. The total activity value of the campaign “Each organization and individual is associated with a humanitarian address” in 2023 has reached over 5 billion VND (up more than 1.4 billion VND compared to 2022). The beneficiaries of the campaign have had more motivation and better condition to gradually escape poverty as well as improve their study.

For example, 3 siblings namely Hoang Thi Bao Ngoc (born in 2012), Hoang Thi Bao Thy (born in 2014) and Hoang Huu Phuoc (born in 2018) in Keo Can village, Bac Xa commune, Dinh Lap district are orphans (their father passed away 2 years ago due to an accident, their mother died of cancer in September 2023). Three of them live with their grandmother, who is old and no longer able to work. Informed about that case, in September 2023, the Provincial RCS in collaboration with the Thien Tam Foundation – Vingroup visited their families to survey, make recommendations and finally, the children were received and nurtured by the Center for Charity and Young Talent Development of Tu Son (Bac Ninh). Here, the three of them receive care, study and live until they finished high school and university.

Chi Lang district’s volunteers participate in voluntary blood donation in 2023

Warm charity houses

With the motto “professional and trustworthy”, RCS at all levels in the province have built trust in accompanying units through many ways such as coordinating with departments, boards, sectors, unions of the province, businesses and benefactors inside and outside the province to call for resources; transparent support resources for the right subjects, the right purpose and with practical and timely results. Accordingly, in 2023, RCS at all levels in the province have coordinated with agencies, organizations, businesses and benefactors inside and outside the province to support the construction and repair of 29 charity houses (including 23 newly built and 6 repaired). The total value of charity house building support activities reached over 3.6 billion VND. Charity house that are completed and handed over to beneficiaries are what they always long for.

Mr. Trieu Van Tai in Lang Kha village, Nhat Hoa commune, Bac Son district is one of them. In early March 2023, Mr. Tai’s house caught fire due to an electrical short circuit. By the connection of the Provincial RCS, Bac Son District RCS has mobilized organizations, businesses and benefactors to donate over 174 million VND and over 90 days of work from his family members and neighbors to support him to build a new house. Mr. Trieu Van Tai, shared: “I really thank the government at all levels, the Provincial RCS, Bac Son District RCS and sponsors for sharing with my difficulties and encouraging my family promptly during times of trouble.”

The charity houses handed over to beneficiaries have helped them gain confidence, overcome difficulties, settle down and build a better life.

Spreading voluntary blood donation movement

In addition to the imprints of activities associated with humanitarian addresses and building charity houses in the past year, the province’s voluntary blood donation movement also achieved positive results. The province has organized 21 voluntary blood donation events and received 9,592 blood units, exceeding the 592 target assigned by the central government (up 1,773 blood units compared to 2022). This is the highest number of blood units received ever. The voluntary blood donation movement has become a beauty of kindness in the community.

To achieve the above results, RCS at all levels in the province have promoted propaganda in many diverse forms. In addition to coordinating with press agencies, from the Provincial RCS to those at district and city level, they have created fanpages on Facebook to introduce about the role and meaning of voluntary blood donation. They announced the time and location of the blood donation festivals… Consequently, people from all walks of life have further understood about voluntary blood donation and they have been informed about blood donation festival events to arrange their time and work and come to donate blood.

Ms. Nong Bich Thuan, President of the Provincial Red Cross Society, said: The RCS’s work and movement in the past year have achieved positive results and left profound humanitarian imprints in the community. To achieve those results, the Provincial Red Cross Society always takes advantage of the leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, Provincial People’s Council, Provincial People’s Committee and the Central Vietnam Red Cross Society. Additionally, we also actively coordinate with departments, boards, sectors, unions, businesses and benefactors inside and outside the province to call for support, we coordinated to implement grassroots-oriented volunteer activities for the poor and people in difficult circumstances who need help. In the coming time, the Provincial Red Cross Society will continue to innovate its activities in the direction of promoting socialization and mobilizing resources in the community; introduce humanitarian activities to the grassroots level, which is practical and effective for beneficiaries. Moreover, RSC at all levels should promote their core roles in connecting humanitarian activities, helping the poor and vulnerable people ease difficulties in their lives. Thereby, they joint to local authorities in eliminating hunger, reducing poverty and performing social security work.