On the evening of September 16, at Ly Thai To Park No. 1 in Vuon Lai Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam Television Center in the Southern region (VTV Southern Region), in collaboration with Thanh Nien Newspaper, held an art program entitled “Southern Compassion – Helping Children Move Forward in Life.”
The event was attended by First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee and Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee, Bui Quang Huy; Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and central mass organizations, Nguyen Quang Duc; Vice Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Phuoc Loc; and Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Nguyen Manh Cuong.
The program was held to commemorate those who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic and to reflect on five years of efforts to accompany and support children orphaned by the pandemic.
Hundreds of candles were lit during the program. Those in attendance turned toward the Water Drop Memorial, observing a minute of silence in memory of those who never returned after the pandemic.
Delegates, frontline workers, and other participants took turns placing candles around the central circle. The glow of the small candles formed a circle of remembrance, linking memories of those who died with gratitude to those who helped protect lives during the pandemic.
In the solemn memorial space, songs celebrating maternal love, family bonds, and solidarity among fellow citizens filled the air, evoking the losses left by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly for children who lost one or both parents or their entire families.
Nearly 200 children, along with their relatives and families who have been receiving support from the “Helping Children Move Forward in Life” program, attended the event. The children were presented with gifts as a gesture of encouragement. The program also renewed its appeal for community support through the Vietnam Television Foundation for Vietnamese People.
Many businesses and philanthropists registered their support during the event. The contributions received are expected to be allocated to families and children in need of further assistance.
As of 10:15 p.m. on September 16, the program had received more than VND18 billion (US$692,000) in contributions from businesses and donors.
On September 16, 2021, Thanh Nien Newspaper launched an appeal to sponsor children orphaned by the Covid-19 pandemic as part of “Joining Hands in Compassion,” a community initiative launched by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. The initiative aimed to support more than 1,500 children orphaned by Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces.
Over the past five years, the program has provided emergency assistance to many children on more than 2,000 occasions, with total funding exceeding VND4.3 billion. It has also provided long-term sponsorship for 550 children until they reach the age of 18, with total funding exceeding VND60 billion, while awarding more than VND2 billion in scholarships to school and university students.
Meanwhile, the “Southern Compassion” program, initiated by VTV Southern Region in 2024 to support residents of Lang Nu Hamlet following typhoon Yagi and assist people in the Central region affected by natural disasters, continues to sponsor 86 children orphaned by typhoon Yagi.
This year, the two programs have joined forces to expand sponsorship to children orphaned as a result of natural disasters, storms and floods, traffic accidents, and illness, while mobilizing additional social resources to support children facing difficult circumstances.
