How many members are there in Ladies of All Nations International UK-VN? What are your activities over the past few years?

Ladies of All Nations International UK-VN currently has 6 members on the Executive committee along with 200 members and volunteers across the UK. We were officially established in 2019 under the appointment of Professor Caroline Makaka - the founding and executive president of the Ladies of All Nations International (LOANI).

LOANI has been registered with the UK government since 2017 as an active NGO in 190 countries worldwide. As for the Ladies of All Nations International UK-VN, we aim to uphold cultural values, connect the community, and preserve and promote the unique identity of the Vietnamese community in the UK.

Ladies of All Nations International UK-VN activities include: promoting people, cuisine, tourism, traditional dress Ao Dai and traditional dances through organizing online and face-to-face events, or participating in presentations on international forums together with 190 member countries so that we can contribute to enhancing Vietnam's position in the international arena.

At the same time, we organize the annual Vietnam International Awards Gala to honor individuals, groups and organizations that have made many contributions to society in the UK, Vietnam and many countries around the world, for making the world a better place.

In your opinion, what is the role and position of Vietnamese women in the UK and internationally?

"The position of Vietnamese women in the UK is highly valued with many individuals who made admirable achievements to the society in UK and in the international arena.

I am fortunate to know these individuals such as Teacher Nguyen Quynh Giao - President of The Vietnamese Family Charity Organization who received the Certificate of Merit from London Mayor's office, Pharmacist Nguyen Nhu Thoai, Top 100 Successful women in global business, creator of the famous Vi Shark cartilage supplement product, Lawyer Van Anh - the first woman to become an Executive Director of a law office in the UK, Dr. Nguyen Thuy Vy ...

What are the outstanding activities that you have done to contribute to the Motherland?

We have launched a donation campaign to help people suffering from flood and storm in some areas, with the amount of more than VND 150 million, and a campaign "Join hands with Vietnam to overcome Covid-19" to raise funds to help the homeland with the amount of more than VND 100 million.

We also established the Anna Foundation to help studious children in Vietnam from 2021 to the present. Each scholarship awarded to disadvantaged students is VND 1 million/ scholarship.

Up to now, through the funding and the cooperation of donors in the UK, we have granted 100 scholarships across Vietnam provinces such as Ha Giang, Thanh Hoa, Hai Phong, Tien Giang.

Ladies of All Nations International UK-VN wishes to have more practical contributions to help the people in the Motherland and create a strong and lasting bridge between people in Vietnam and in UK, to help the two countries to reach new heights as important strategic partners in all fields.

Not only us but it is alsp the wish of both countries in the upcoming year 2023 - the 50th anniversary of the establishment of UK-Vietnam diplomatic relations.

How do you plan to promote the image of Vietnamese women in the UK in the coming time?

We have a strategy to promote the role, growth, dedication, and achievement of Vietnamese women in the UK in the coming years.

We want women to not only excel in their professions but to be involved in governance and leadership by providing them with opportunities to develop their full potential in the community and social activities.

By linking with many women's organizations in the UK, USA, Vietnam, Asia, Europe and Africa... we recommend women in the community to participate in international forums to show their talents, leadership roles, beauty, bravery, intelligence, compassionate mind; their inner strengths that did not fully show in the past.

We will organize annual international activities in London such as the Vietnam International Awards and the Vietnam Cultural Festival. The British government, the Embassy of Vietnam in the UK, more than 20 international community organizations, the Vietnamese community in France, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, all Vietnamese community organizations in the UK have attended and supported the program!

The program and the important role of Vietnamese women is highly valued today because they still carry the beauty of the soul of Asian women, they contribute significantly to the image of Vietnamese voices in the UK and in the international arena.

We recently organized the Miss Ao Dai Vietnam UK 2022 contest to promote Vietnamese culture, show our love for traditional Ao dai and celebrate the beauty of Vietnamese women. In just 10 days of launching the contest, we have received more than 50 entries from 18 provinces across the UK.

The contestants are Vietnamese women (aged 18-50) who are currently residing in the UK. At the finale, the Embassy of Vietnam, many international press agencies, Vietnam News Agency, VTC10 television stations, VTV4, thousands of partners and friends joined us to promote the beauty of Vietnamese culture through Ao dai.

There was also the exhibition area of Ao Dai Ngu Than from Hue city, products of La Khe fabric village, handmade accessories, rattan bags made by Hue artisans, Zili coffee flavor from Lam Dong plateau, traditional food made by female Vietnamese chefs...