(VNF) - The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) has launched a program to give Tet presents to islands with a total capital of VND4.75 billion.

The program was carried out by the organising committee of the campaign “Joining hands for the homeland’s sea and islands”, with an attempt to give spiritual assistance to cadres and soldiers of the navy forces, DK1 frame-house, coast guard, fisheries surveillance, encouraging them to successfully realise their tasks and help fishermen continue their trade unabated to boost the economic development and protect the nation’s sea and island sovereignty.

Accordingly, the program awarded over VND1 billion to the cadres and soldiers on duty on islands, visited and gave presents worth VND1 million each to 120 cadres’ and soldiers’ disadvantaged families, and presents worth VND3.63 billion to 3,630 extremely disadvantaged fishermen’s families.

Earlier, on May 19th, 2014, the VRC worked with the Ministry of Information and Communications as well as the national humanitarian portal to launch the campaign “Joining hands for the homeland’s sea and islands”, aiming to raise the awareness and responsibilities among classes of people in protecting national sovereignty and encouraging them to support resources to equip the fisheries surveillance and coast guard forces, and assist fishermen in developing the sea economy and protecting the nation’s sea and island sovereignty.

So far, the campaign has collected over VND24 billion. Accordingly, 93 cameras and 23 water filtering systems worth over VND17 billion have been granted for the coast guard and fisheries surveillance forces. Meanwhile, VND600 million has also been used to support the lives of the coast guard and fisheries surveillance soldiers on duty at sea as well as the children of extremely disadvantaged soldiers./.

Compiled by VNF