The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) on Wednesday awarded three outstanding projects in the second phase of its charity campaign called "Taiwan Excellence Cares".—VNS Photo

HCM CITY (Biz Hub) – The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) on Wednesday awarded three outstanding projects in the second phase of its charity campaign called "Taiwan Excellence Cares".

With the goal of supporting disadvantaged children, the three winners were chosen from a total of 20 projects, which had been selected online among many others by more than 400,000 people in the first phase of the campaign.

The participants in the campaign have implemented their projects and plans using Taiwanese-made cameras, tablets and computers to teach disadvantaged children in Ha Noi's SOS Children's Village and HCM City's Mai Tam Charity House how to make paper products.

The award for each winner will be US$2,000 and a trip to Taiwan in October. Winners will also receive funds to expand and implement their project in Viet Nam, with the financial support of nearly 30 Taiwanese brandnames.

As a multi-national campaign, Taiwan Excellence Cares is part of the corporate social responsibility activities of Taiwan's trade council.

"Different from other charity programmes, the campaign calls for Vietnamese to show and set up their plans in which they use made-in-Taiwan products to support and assist their communities," said Timothy W D Tso, director of Taitra in HCM City.

This is the fourth time the programme has been organised in Viet Nam. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Taitra has also carried out the programme in mainland China, Taiwan, India and Indonesia.

During the first programme phase, which began in June, customers accessed the campaign at the website www.taiwanexcellencecares.com

Each registration to the website brought in US$1 to the charity fund to support poor children in Viet Nam. The first phase attracted 9,269 people, and collected $9,269.

In the second phase, begun in August, participants will introduce their charity projects.

Over the last four years, trade between Viet Nam and Taiwan has significantly increased. Last year, bilateral trade turnover rose by 22 per cent over 2010, from $8.1 million to $10.7 million. — VNS