 Women of Mo Rai commune, Sa Thay district, Kon Tum province donate items for Tet at "Zero VND" market session. Photo: VOV |
Many trucks and cars are travelling to remote areas in the central highlands province of Kontum, bringing Tet gifts for the needy. Dak Nen commune in Kon Plong district, about 140 km from Kon Tum City, is one such remote area. Y Lan of Xo Dang ethnic group, one of 200 students of Dak Nen primary school, was moved to receive Tet gifts.
"I’m very happy to receive new warm clothes for Tet. Thank you very much. I’ll do my best studying and helping my parents," said Y Lan.
In 13 border communes of Kon Tum province’s 4 districts: Đăk Glei, Ngọc Hồi, Sa Thầy and Ia H’Drai, various activities are being held to ensure a proper Tet for the local people. The local Fatherland Front has donated 7 houses worth a total of 17,000 USD to local disadvantaged people. Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Chairman of Ia H’Drai district’s People’s Committee, said: "We’ve run many programs to take care of disadvantaged people and ensure they enjoy a happy Tet. Such activities include a day for wrapping square sticky rice cakes in residential areas, and New Year music shows at border areas."
 Soldiers support the local people to clean up their living environment ahead of Tet in Can Tho City. Photo: VOV |
The Kon Tum provincial Women's Union has worked with the provincial Border Guard Command and Hanoi’s Women Union to organize numerous activities for local people living along Vietnam’s 292 km border with Cambodia and Laos to welcome the lunar New Ỷear. Such activities as “Warm Tet”, “Giving charity houses”, making square sticky rice cakes, and cooking Vietnamese traditional food have brightened up the Tet atmosphere at these remote border areas.
In Can Tho city, the municipal Military Command organized Tet celebrations where soldiers join the local ethnic people in remote areas to celebrate the lunar New Year. Colonel Pham Ngoc Quang, the political commissar of Can Tho’s Military Command, told VOV: "We presented scholarships to poor students and 1000 gift sets to poor locals in Xuan Thang commune and some other parts of Thoi Lai district for Tet celebrations we organized for the local people. In districts Ninh Kieu, Thot Not, and Vinh Thanh, our soldiers helped the people clean to welcome Tet."
The northern province of Lao Cai has also organized many activities for the less fortunate to celebrate Tet, including a TV program called “Tet for poor people”, “A humanitarian Tet” in the mountainous commune of Si Ma Cai, and “Spring at border station” in Trinh Tuong and Coc My communes of Bat Xat district. The province also sent 9 groups of officials to visit disadvantaged households and families on social assistance.
"In addition to helping poor households using the state budget, we have encouraged individuals, organizations, and donors to present Tet gifts to near poor households," said Giang Thi Dung, Deputy Chairwoman of Lao Cai provincial People’s Committee.
Taking care of the needy has become an indispensable part of Tet in Vietnam, reflecting Vietnam’s fine tradition of “the haves helping the have nots”.