Meals are served to poor patients at K3-Tân Triều Hospital by Tử Tế ( Kind) Charity Porridge Team. Photo infonet.vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — For the past 11 years, Lê Huy, 43 years old, and the Tử Tế (Kind) Charity Porridge Team have been providing aid to tens of thousands of cancer patients and those facing difficult circumstances in Hà Nội.

Huy, who serves as the lead of the team established in 2012, explained that the group was named by Venerable Thích Thanh Sơn of the Việt Nam Buddhist Academy "to convey the idea of sharing compassion with those still struggling in life."

The charity group’s members have distributed porridge free of charge to poor patients at K cancer, Bạch Mai, and Saint Paul hospitals in Hà Nội.

In 2022, every Wednesday morning, 300 meals are provided for poor patients at K3-Tân Triều Hospital, and every Sunday, four large pots of hot porridge are distributed free of charge at Saint Paul Hospital and Bạch Mai Hospital, equivalent to 600-800 bowls.

The group always received the support of the sponsors and appreciation from the patients.

The charity group was granted the certificate of “Humanity address” by the HCM City-based UNESCO Centre for Science, Humanities and Community for its contributions to the community in 2013.

Since then, Huy and the team members have maintained activities to affirm that reliable title.

From four members in 2012, the charity group now has more than 50 permanent members who directly participate in activities: buying vegetables and foodstuff, cooking, and distributing meals of porridge and rice for hospital patients.

For many years, the group's activities have been publicised on social networks, with more than 2,000 followers, and regularly received both mental and physical support from kind-hearted people.

The group's gathering area was at Quan Nhân Temple of Nhân Chính Ward, Thanh Xuân District.

The group received help from members and young people to maintain a kitchen for poor patients.

Regardless of rain or shine, the charity team always was on time at the hospitals to bring quality meals to the patients.

Huy said: “Thanks to their enthusiastic and dedicated hearts, these ordinary people have contributed to helping and partly sharing the burden with poor patients and disadvantaged people in society."

When Huy was a director of a joint-stock company, he went through periods of shock and despair when he discovered that he had cancer of the blood. Witnessing those in more difficult circumstances than himself, Huy overcame the disease.

Huy understands that for cancer patients, the most important thing to help them prolong life is optimism.

“The loving feelings of people around will be a panacea to help them have more motivation to fight the disease,” he said.

Tử Tế porridge group was born from that meaning. At first, many people laughed and thought that he would not be able to maintain it for long. However, until now, after 11 years, the group’s members were still working hard, not only helping patients in Hà Nội but coming to remote areas to assist the poor and ethnic minority students.

“I am a cancer patient, but luckily I still do things, so I help cancer patients in hospitals,” he said.

“Many people say I am crazy; I cannot do it for long because my health is quite weak. But I have been doing it for 11 years." — VNS