Overseas Vietnamese are pictured at the inauguration of Joining Hands With Việt Nam To Overcome COVID-19 campaign in London, UK. To date, the campaign has raised over VNĐ101,835,000 (US$4,477). — Photo courtesy of the organisation board.

HÀ NỘI — A campaign to raise funds for Việt Nam’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has begun by overseas Vietnamese living in London.

Joining Hands With Việt Nam To Overcome COVID-19 campaign aims to call on the Vietnamese communities across the UK to contribute both financially and mentally to supporting their homeland during this difficult time.

“Despite living far from home, our hearts have always been oriented towards our homeland," Hoàng Hải Hà, chairwoman of Ladies Of All Nations International UK -Việt Nam and member of the organisation board, told Việt Nam News.

"Vietnamese in the UK all feel sad and worried on hearing news about the pandemic situation in Việt Nam.” 

The inauguration of the campaign on Sunday was attended by many Vietnamese overseas including Vietnamese teenagers living in the UK who have also donated their savings they earned by tutoring online or working part-time during their summer vacations.

According to Hà, the campaign has raised VNĐ101,835,000 (US$4,477), 80 per cent of which will be sent to the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to donate to Việt Nam’s COVID-19 vaccine fund while the rest will be donated to Thương Sài Gòn (Love Saigon) Fund that supports food to the Vietnamese disadvantaged in HCM City.

Hà said: “The campaign will be expanded to more Vietnamese communities across the UK in virtual form so that everyone could contribute their part, helping our compatriots back home get over difficulties caused by the lock-down and the effects of the pandemic.”

She added that it will last until the pandemic ends in Việt Nam.

Overseas Vietnamese in Voronezh City, Russia donate VNĐ50 million ($2,200) to HCMC’s COVID-19 prevention fund. — Photohttps:plo.vn

Meanwhile, overseas Vietnamese in Voronezh City, Russia also donated VNĐ50 million ($2,200) to HCMC’s COVID-19 prevention fund. The money was handed over to the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in the city, which is currently hot spot of the pandemic in Việt Nam, by Phạm Ngọc Trung, President of the Vietnamese Association in Voronezh City, Russia

At the same time, an additional VNĐ27 million ($1,200) was presented to Bình Trị Đông B Ward, which will be spent on food to distribute to disadvantaged locals affected by the pandemic.

According to Trung, the Executive Board of the Vietnamese Association in Voronezh City launched a campaign calling for donations within Vietnamese communities since HCMC became the pandemic centre of the country.

The campaign enables Vietnamese based in Russia to share the affection with other unfortunate compatriots, he added.

The Committee on Overseas Vietnamese in HCMC also said that the Vietnamese community in Singapore gave 17,500 N95 masks to 22 hospitals and field hospitals in the city, valued at more than VNĐ154 million ($6,800).

Meanwhile, a Vietnamese in Australia, Richard Nguyen (Nguyễn Ngọc Luận), Director of Global Trade Company and Meet More coffee brand, together with Lê Thị Kim Oanh, CEO of Ovan Group, presented 600 bottles of shampoo and shower gel to the HCMC Women's Union. The donation has been presented to disadvantaged members of the union in the context of the pandemic.

Phùng Công Dũng, Chairman of the Committee on Overseas Vietnamese in HCMC expressed thanks to the valuable contributions of Vietnamese overseas worldwide to the national fight against COVID-19.

“Such timely material donations have been properly presented to those in need. Within all of these donations is passionate patriotism and the wish to share the difficulties and losses caused by the pandemic,” he said.

He also expressed his belief that with the joint effort, solidarity and determination of the local people and expatriates, HCMC would soon overcome the pandemic. — VNS