Participants attend the launching ceremony of the walking campaign, called Triệu bước chân nhân ái (Million Steps of Kindness), in Hà Nội on February 25. — Photo VNRC

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Red Cross Society (VNRC) officially launched a walking campaign, called Triệu bước chân nhân ái (Million Steps of Kindness), in Hà Nội on February 25.

The 56-day campaign is within the framework of a series of activities in response to National Humanitarian Month 2024. It aims to promote the spirit of physical exercise, active lifestyle and community engagement while marking the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ victory.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, VNRC President Bùi Thị Hòa said that the campaign aimed to spread the message of solidarity, kindness, creativity, determination and perseverance of Vietnamese people.

“Every step of participating organisations and individuals will spread compassionate messages about blood donation, tissue and organ donation, human body donation, and environmental protection. It especially will raise funds to carry out humanitarian work and projects, helping disadvantaged children, disabled people and poor people have the opportunity to improve in study, work and life,” said VNRC president Hòa.

Hòa hoped the campaign would bring about the spirit of sportsmanship, solidarity, kindness, and sharing to all the social communities of Vietnamese people at home and abroad.

During 56 days and nights from February 25 to April 22, the campaign organiser calls on Vietnamese people inside and outside the country to join the "peacetime march" movement organised for free on the vRace online platform. Each individual is called upon to contribute a minimum of 10 km.

Participants can register in groups or individually at https://vrace.com.vn/race/trieu-buoc-chan-nhan-ai or on the vRace application.

The campaign organiser expected to attract 70,000 people to participate in sports activities like walking or jogging and record achievements reaching 700,000 km, corresponding to a campaign budget of VNĐ7 billion for humanitarian activities.

The collected money will be used to build seven boarding kitchens for highland students, support sustainable livelihoods for 70 poor families, provide necessities for 700 disadvantaged families, consulting and nutritional support for 7,000 poor children, and provide medical examinations and free medicine for 7,000 people in difficult circumstances in Điện Biên, Sơn La and Thái Nguyên provinces.

In 2024, the VNRC strives to mobilise resources to reach VNĐ400 billion to implement activities in Humanitarian Month and be ready to meet humanitarian assistance requests in 2024.

During National Humanitarian Month 2024, the VNRC from central to local levels plans to support 100,000 humanitarian addresses (individuals and groups). In particular, each province and city society mobilises financial support to build and repair a boarding kitchen at preschools and primary schools with especially difficult conditions, worth at least VNĐ150 million; build or repair two Red Cross houses for the poor and people in extremely difficult circumstances, worth a minimum of VNĐ50 million; and livelihood support for at least 50 poor households and households in extremely difficult circumstances. — VNS