Donors signs agreements with organnisers to contribute to the Vừ A Dính Scholarship Fund in HCM City on June 11. — VNS Photo Ngọc Diệp

HCM CITY — The HCM Communist Youth Union’s Vừ A Dính Scholarship Fund has received donations of nearly VNĐ35.24 billion (US$1.5 million) from 20 Vietnamese and foreign individuals and organisations this year.

Trương Mỹ Hoa, former vice president of Việt Nam and the chairwoman of the fund, said at a press conference held in HCM City yesterday that the fund gives away 5,000 scholarships every year to outstanding ethnic minority students in mountainous areas and 3,000 scholarships to students living on islands.

For 20 years, the fund has provided more than 85,000 scholarships to students living in difficult circumstances who have high marks at school.

Donors have contributed nearly VNĐ373 billion ($16 million) to the fund to support poor people and students as well as social assistance programmes.

Established in 1999, the fund was named after Vừ A Dính (1934-1949), an ethnic Mông in the northern mountainous province of Điện Biên.  He received the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces in 2000.

The fund is now carrying out four main projects: Ươm mầm tương lai (Nurturing The Future), Mở đường đến tương lai (Opening Paths to The Future), Chắp cánh ước mơ (Giving Wings to Your Dreams) and Thắp sáng tương lai (Brighten The Future).

In 2009, the Vừ A Dính Award was launched to honor outstanding individuals and organisations that contribute to the development of mountainous regions and ethnic minority areas, and outstanding ethnic people who make important contributions to the community. — VNS