A zero-đồng mini-supermarket opened by Hà Nội Capital High Command in Đống Đa District. — Photo kintedothi.vn

HÀ NỘI — "Zero-đồng supermarkets on buses" and "zero-đồng mini-supermarkets" launched by the Hà Nội armed forces are supporting people in the capital affected by the pandemic.

The mini-supermarkets provide food to poor households, workers who have lost their job and students who are stuck in the city during social distancing. 

The model was first set up by Military Command in Tây Hồ District and has been developed by other localities in the capital. 

The Hà Nội Capital High Command units have opened 14 zero-đồng supermarkets on buses, and 26 zero-đồng mini-supermarkets so far.

More than 14,000 gifts, worth VNĐ5.2 billion (US$227,400), were also presented to people in difficulty.

The armed forces have also coordinated with communes to purchase agricultural produce from local farmers, with nearly 150,000kg of all kinds of vegetables and tens of thousands of chicken eggs.

"These activities show care for families in difficult circumstances during the pandemic, and we want people to join hands and unite with the armed forces to soon repel COVID-19," Major General Nguyễn Quốc Duyệt told Kinh tế & Đô thị (Economics & Urban Affairs) newspaper. 

In Nam Từ Liêm District, the Hà Nội Capital High Command on August 21 opened a zero-đồng mini-supermarket in Mỹ Đình 1, Trung Văn and Xuân Phương wards. 

About 1,400 packages of food including rice, vegetables, fruit, eggs, peanuts, fish sauce and cooking oil were given to people in difficult circumstances.

Nguyễn Thị Hoan, a resident from Xuân Phương ward, said: "I lost my job for nearly two months and have to stay at home due to social distancing. We are very hard-up because my husband is sick. I am very grateful for the help of the soldiers."

Nguyên Viết Dị, 73, a disabled man living in Trung Văn ward, said his family has had no income since Hà Nội implemented social distancing measures. His wife could not go to the market to sell joss paper and other paper objects. 

"We want to say thank you to the soldiers. Their gift is really meaningful to my family right now," Dị said. 

Meanwhile, each household in difficulties in Đống Đa District has received a “gift voucher” worth VNĐ500,000 through the local government to buy goods from the supermarket opened by the local Fatherland Front Committee and the Military Command.

The supermarket model was also set up in Ba Đình District. 

Gift packages worth VNĐ300 each were also given to 600 households in Ngọc Hà and Đội Cấn wards.

"These small gifts are the help and encouragement of the soldier officers to people who face difficulties during the pandemic. We will coordinate with units and other organisations to set up more supermarkets to help more people," said Colonel Doãn Kim Tuyến. — VNS