 |
Ms. Nguyen Chung Thuy (Center, blue ao dai) |
Next July 1, the Vietnamese New Year organized by the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group will take place in Belgium’s Gent City; however, online Tet markets of compatriots have been bustling for over one month to raise money to help disadvantaged children in Vietnam continue pursuing their studies.
In the kitchen and courtyard of Sint-Paulus Primary School in Gent City next Saturday, about 140 diners will enjoy banh chung - is a traditional Vietnamese sticky rice cake which is made from glutinous rice, mung beans, pork and other ingredients - spring rolls, fried spring rolls and Hanoi vermicelli; watching lion dance, performing calligraphy.
Why is the summer festival so jubilant? Ms. Nguyen Chung Thuy, coordinator and leader of the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group, disclosed that many Belgian and foreign friends have heard about the Vietnamese New Year but have not had a chance to enjoy it, so they suggested the group made Vietnamese Tet theme for this year's charity fundraising event.
In fact, at the beginning of the year, Vietnamese people still celebrate the Vietnamese New Year in the capital Brussels, usually in the hall because it is cold. In the festival, there will be musical performances and dancing. This is also a great opportunity to bring Vietnamese Tet outdoors and to other parts of Belgium in a brilliant summer atmosphere to promote Vietnamese culture.
It is that participation that helps people realize that voluntary work is not too difficult and it does not take much money to do charity. People can contribute a few books, seeds of spices, flower pots and plants in the house, pounds of ham, meat dishes, and banh chung to organize a bustling online Tet market to buy and sell to raise the fund for disadvantaged children.
The Belgium - Vietnam Alliance (BVA) and the General Association of Vietnamese in Belgium are also familiar sponsors of the fund of the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group. Belgian friends also helped contact local banks, restaurants, and Bed and Breakfast services to call for them to give donations. The group's activities are currently on a small scale, but all donations are given to those in need, so donors trust the group.
So far, the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group has helped about 800 students in the Northern Province of Bac Giang. In Belgium, anyone who donates to charity with an amount of more than 40 EUR a time to legitimate organizations is entitled to a part of the tax refund. But many benefactors did not hesitate to contribute to the Friends for Vietnamese Kids group’s fund, accepting no tax refund.
