HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Information and Communications, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the standing board of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, launched a text message campaign on Saturday to raise money to support the impoverished nationwide.

The campaign, entitled “Join hands for the poor”, is part of the nation’s efforts to alleviate poverty and respond to the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and the Day for the Poor in Việt Nam (October 17).

Supporters can join the programme by texting “VNN n” to 1408 from the start of August 19 until the end of December 31. In the message, "n" is a number with the total donation equal to n multiplied by VNĐ20,000 (the minimum contribution).

For more detailed information, participants can call 19001530 or visit the website 1400.vn.

The money raised from the campaign will be used to help the poor residing in areas dealing with special socio-economic difficulties and ethnic minority groups. 

A programme is scheduled to take place at the Cultural Friendship Palace at No 91 Trần Hưng Đạo Street in the downtown district of Hoàn Kiếm in Hà Nội, and will be broadcast live on VTV1.

According to the multi-dimensional poverty standards for 2016-20, Việt Nam is now home to 1.3 million impoverished households, or 5.23 per cent of the total population, and more than 1.23 million near-poor households who need help to stabilise their lives.

From 2016 to 2018, some VNĐ13.8 billion (US$595,400) was mobilised by SMS campaigns through the National Humanitarian Portal 1400. — VNS