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81-year-old Ta Yen (R) living in Bong Son town receives a sweater. Photo B.S |
The “One million sweaters for poor elderly people” campaign has been implemented for several months. Thousands of sweaters have been presented to the elderly in the province so far.
Share “warmth” with poor elderly people
It was drizzling in the morning of October 17, 2009, but 87-year-old Le Thi So living in Bong Son town still insisted on asking her son to take her to the head office of the town People’s Committee to receive a sweater.
Holding the new sweater, she said that being presented a sweater was the great happiness for poor elderly people. Such presents show the concern of the society for the elderly.
Similarly, sweaters were also given to Nguyen Chan and his wife. The 89-year-old couple are among the poor ones. “Although we are not as poor as before, we don’t have enough money to buy as many facilities as we like,” Chan said. “We felt very happy when being presented sweaters.”
Also, on the occasion, thousands of poor elderly people across the province were presented sweaters. For those who are so weak, local officials came to their houses and handed sweaters over to them.
Representing boards of the province’s branch for the elderly made all-out efforts to bring happiness to poor people at the end of the year.
In Hoai Nhon district, the campaign was implemented in many companies and bodies. The district’s officials, staff, soldiers, and local people actively responded to the campaign.
Thanks to the campaign, VND352 million was raised until December last year and 5,218 poor elderly people in the district received sweaters. The campaign was effectively carried out in An Nhon district. More than VND226 million was raised within 20 days.
The campaign will be extended
As soon as the campaign was approved, the representing board of the province’s association of the elderly coordinated with Department of Labour, War Invalids, and Social Affairs to build plans to promote the campaign, according to head of the representing board Nguyen Ngoc Anh.
Provincial bodies and agencies were mobilized to join the campaign. The association’s affiliates in the districts closely cooperated with the local authorities to implement the event.
The campaign produced encouraging results. Over 22,950 sweaters were presented to poor elderly people until late December, 2009. 100 percent of elderly people in Quy Nhon city and districts of An Nhon, Hoai Nhon, An Lao, Van Canh, and Vinh Thanh received sweaters.
However, 4000 people haven’t still received sweaters. “The campaign was launched by Vietnam Association of the Elderly in June, but it was only implemented in Binh Dinh two months later,” vice director of Department of Labour, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, Phan Nhu Hai, explained. “The campaign faced many difficulties due to two storms and the fierce flood, let alone other factors.”
The campaign was expected to be implemented from August to September 10, 2009 and sweaters would be presented to poor elderly people on the occasion of the international Day for the Elderly (Oct.1).
Due to difficulties, it was permitted to be extended for several months and finished before the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.
Provincial bodies and agencies were asked to continue responding to the campaign, helping other poor elderly people receive sweaters.
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