Quach Thanh Ngoc Thuy, deputy general director of Sacombank, gives ‘lucky’ money to children at the Linh Xuan Centre for Child Care and Protection in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of Sacombank

With Tet (the Lunar New Year) approaching, many businesses are organising charity programmes in an effort to bring some New Year cheer to disadvantaged people in the country as well as ethnic Vietnamese living in Laos and Cambodia.

Sacombank has earmarked VND4.8 billion (US$208,666) to buy Tet gifts for disadvantaged people living in 52 provinces and cities as well as in Laos and Cambodia under its annual Warm Spring programme that runs from January 18 to February 1.

Over 18 years Sacombank has spent over VND70 billion ($3.04 million) on the programme.

GO!/Big C supermarket chain and the Viet Nam Red Cross Society are giving Tet gifts worth VND700 million (US$30,334) to 3,600 poor families.

The programme began on January 26 and will go on until February 6.

Each family gets cooking oil, fish sauce, seasoning, sugar, a voucher worth VND100,000, and an environmentally-friendly bag.

This is the 13th year that Big C is carrying out the charity programme.

Education company Nguyen Hoang Group carried out charity programmes this month, handing over cash, food, drinks, and other daily necessities to shelters, orphanages and nursing homes in the provinces of Tien Giang, Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai.

It also donated money to the Love Spring Foundation for supporting children receiving treatment at the HCM City Oncology Hospital, 100 seniors living by themselves in Quang Tri Province’s Trieu Phong District and Thai Sa House in Thai Binh Province.

Its group deputy CEO, Do Manh Cuong, said: “Mother Teresa once said, ‘Nobody is so poor that there is nothing left to give others.’ From these places, we have in turn received a great gift from the children and older people: their bright, happy smiles." — VNS