A Cơ Tu father and his son in Tây Giang district get warm clothes from Lifestart Foundation in a charity programme in Quảng Nam Province. Photo courtesy of Lifestart Foundation

CENTRAL REGION – Several groups of people, including more than 200 children, the middle-aged and elderly, as well as 38 disadvantaged students and families, from the Cơ Tu ethnic group in Quảng Nam Province's Tây Giang District have received warm clothes and blankets from the Lifestart Foundation.

The donation, worth over VNĐ62 million (US$2,700), will help the Cơ Tu community stay warm in the mountainous district this winter.

Karen Leonard, Lifestart Foundation founder, said: “We hope that the provision of this donation will not only help to keep underprivileged ethnic minority people warm this winter but also support to alleviate some of the difficulties for those living in already-struggling circumstances.”

Warm clothes and blanket distribution are just one of the many Lifestart Foundation community activities in 2021, which included donation of much-needed hamper boxes; clean water systems for schools; and building new houses for families who lost their houses after floods, typhoon and landslides.

The Lifestart Foundation, a grassroots charity, found in 2000 by Australian Leonard, has helped disadvantaged Vietnamese families to become self-sufficient through education scholarships for disadvantaged students and housing improvements.

Poor primary school students get gifts from Doosan Vina company in Bình Sơn district of Quảng Ngãi Province. Nearly 3,000 workers and poor families in the district get Tết gifts from Doosan Vina's donation programme. Photo courtesy of Doosan VIna

In neighbouring Quảng Ngãi Province, nearly 3,000 employees of heavy industry's Doosan Vina and needy local people have benefited from a Tết bonus and gifts.

A total of 100 gifts have been given to poor people living in Bình Thuận and Bình Trị communes in Bình Sơn District.

Earlier, the company supported the province with medical equipment for a field hospital and funds for COVID-19 epidemic prevention, as well as maintenance and repair of a desalination plant for the Lý Sơn Islands.

“The year 2021 was quite a difficult year for us, as we had to both keep the production chain unbroken while promoting disease prevention and ensuring the health and safety of employees," said Lee Young Bong, Doosan Vina’s managing director.

Although the company failed to achieve its business and financial goals because the anti-epidemic costs were too big this year, Doosan Vina still maintained Tết bonuses of a month's salary, Tết gifts and free transport to take employees and their relatives back home to celebrate the traditional lunar New Year holiday.” VNS