People’s Diplomacy Goes in Tandem with Social Welfare

Representatives from COPION Vietnam, the Union of Friendship Organisations in Dong Nai province, and the People’s Committee of Trang Bom district, and teachers and students of Nguyen Tri Phuong Primary School in a new classroom. Photo: V.Truyen

Thanks to the efforts of several organizations, various educational facilities and important services have been built for Vietnamese residents in Dong Nai.

Many classrooms built

Since 2023, local schools have been provided with many new classrooms and leaning equipment.

Vice President of the Union of Friendship Organisations in Dong Nai province Bui Thi Lieu said the funding for such facilities mainly comes from foreign non-governmental organisations through the union.

Specifically, the union and Suntory Pepsico Dong Nai presented 12 sets of computers to Tan Phu Primary School in Phu Thanh commune, Vinh Cuu district. The donor also granted six scholarships, each worth VND2 million ($85.02), along with 80 packages of gifts to poor students.

On March 20-21, the union, and the People’s Committees of Long Thanh and Trang Bom districts organised a ceremony to hand over five classrooms under the LS Dream School project to Tap Phuoc Primary School in Long Phuoc commune, Long Thanh district, and four others to Nguyen Tri Phuong Primary School in Tay Hoa commune, Trang Bom district.

According to Nguyen Van Toan, head of the Education-Training Bureau of Long Thanh district, the facilities were built on the foundations of old classrooms at Tap Phuoc Primary School with total investment of VND3.8 billion, of which VND1.5 billion came from LS Group and the COPION organisation of the Republic of Korea (RoK), and VND2.3 billion was sourced from the district budget.

Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Trang Bom district Vu Thi Minh Chau said the previous classrooms at Nguyen Tri Phuong Primary School were built in 1998 and downgraded.

More resources in support of needy people

Lieu said apart from education, the union has paid attention to mobilizing external resources to support disadvantaged people.

This year, it has coordinated with non-governmental organizations in a range of social welfare projects, she said, adding that with donations from the US’s LDSC organization, the union, and relevant sides have rolled out a freshwater project for Ma and S’tieng ethnic groups in Ta Lai commune, Tan Phu district, and another for children in Ta Lai. They also presented 12 televisions valued at VND250.8 million to a research center of Dong Nai University.

The union has also joined hands with the provincial board for ethnic affairs and the People’s Committees of Dinh Quan and Tan Phu districts in building seven houses for ethnic minorities under two projects funded by France’s LEDD organization.

Organizations and associations have optimized people’s diplomacy in mobilizing international resources to support their members.

Between 2020 and 2022, the provincial Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims, for example, worked as a bridge to help the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Association provide a monthly allowance for four AO victims in Dong Nai with total funding of VND43.2 million.

In 2023, the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Association presented more than EUR1,000 and VND10.8 million to the provincial Association of AO/Dioxin Victims.

President of the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Association Grega Pierre Emlile J pledged that his association will continue supporting AO victims through the provincial association. /.

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