More than 1,530 coach tickets, 270 plane tickets and 200 train tickets will be given to workers and volunteer youth union members, who volunteered in COVID-19 prevention efforts in 2021.

This is under the Tet One Home community programme launched by Bia Saigon and the Communist Youth Union on Monday at the Youth Cultural House of HCM City.

The recipients of this community initiative have been selected nationwide. Each beneficiary also received a Tet gift set for them to bring home for a joyful Tet holiday and celebration with their families.

The event was attended by representatives of SABECO, Communist Youth Union and relevant sectors and departments, Miss Viet Nam Tran Tieu Vy and Phuong Anh, along with other media partners.

Labourers waiting in line to get on the bus under the programme to go back to their hometowns. — Photo courtesy of SABECO

Due to strict compliance with COVID-19 measures, only delegates of workers and youth union members, representing more than 600 recipients in the Southern region, took part in the ceremony.

The ceremony saw the first coaches and trains to depart from HCM City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai to various provinces in the south, central and north. This symbolised the start of the "Tet One Home" journey, bringing groups of workers and youth union members back home to celebrate a warm Tet with their families after a year of upheaval.

Earlier, the programme also distributed 800 sets of Tet gift to workers and COVID-19 prevention volunteers in Quang Ninh, Ha Noi, Thu Duc and Cu Chi, HCM City. These are recipients who had to remain in their work areas throughout the Tet period.

Bennett Neo, general director of the Saigon Beer-Alcohol-Beverage Corporation, said: “As 2022 Lunar New Year is approaching, everyone in Viet Nam is looking forward to Tet to be reunited with families and friends after a turbulent year.

Nguyen Hoang Giang, STRACO's general director and artist Quyen Linh give Tet gifts to labourers. — Photo courtesy of SABECO

"With the spirit of 'Tet - Stronger Together,' the 'Tet One Home' programme aims to provide opportunities for beneficiaries to return home and celebrate the spirit of unity, togetherness and solidarity with family as well as friends. The spirit of national unity will be embraced by every home across the regions as one Viet Nam during this most auspicious moment of the Vietnamese New Year.”

The programme has noted the active participation of workers who have achieved good results, and of the pandemic prevention volunteer force in 2021.

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Pham Duy Trang – Secretary of HCM Communist Youth Union, said: “The Secretariat of the HCM Communist Youth Union wishes that young workers, students, and volunteers will maintain the spirit of optimism, constantly strive to overcome all difficulties due to the epidemic, contribute their youth and enthusiasm, promote the creative, industrious and hard-working qualities to complete the assigned tasks, while contributing strongly to the development of the unit and HCM City."

"In addition, the delegation at all levels at the unit and locality needs to continue to accompany, support, create the best environment for you to have the opportunity to contribute and grow.”

In the past three years, Bia Saigon has carried out many initiatives for communities and labourers with outstanding results at work and provided Tet gift and homecoming tickets for workers.

In 2021, Bia Saigon cooperated with the Central Viet Nam Youth Federation and the Communist Youth Union on "Community Care," which provided medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and frontline forces in the fight against COVID-19, and 5,000 necessities to struggling households.

In addition to this, another joint programme "Collecting a million stars" was launched to rally everyone in Viet Nam to spread the spirit of "Stronger Together," while supporting 600 struggling F&B household businesses in HCM City. This "Tet One Home" programme is a continuation of the "Stronger Together" activities. — VNS