The “Day for the Poor” campaign has received strong support from the public over the last 10 years. The annual live-TV program “Joining Hands” is one of the major activities to involve all people in the campaign. More than 1 billion USD has been raised to build concrete houses for millions of families and help them develop production. A number of public works have been built to benefit people’s lives. We now review the program’s outcomes over the past decade.

People making handicraft items to raise funds for disadvantaged children

Since the Vietnam Fatherland Front launched the Day for the Poor campaign, millions of disadvantaged families have received houses and loans from aid funds to help them escape poverty. Donations from Vietnamese around the world, as well as social organizations, businesses, and foreign donors have been used to build houses, pay school fees, provide health services, deliver holiday gifts, and aid disaster recovery.

Sung A Vang, Chairman of Yen Bai provincial Fatherland Front elaborates: “The campaign has involved people of all social strata and is rooted in local residential areas. It has practically benefited the poor and people who have rendered service to the nation. Once the people’s living conditions have been improved, we use the money to build roads, schools, cultural houses, and health facilities.”

The Vietnam Fatherland Front has worked with its member organizations at all levels to widen the campaign. The annual “Joining hands” program has encouraged individuals and organizations nationwide to donate cash and auction items. HCM City has raised over 21.6 million USD, Hanoi – 14.4 million USD, Hai Phong – 17.8 million USD, and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group – 28.8 million USD. Le Ngoc Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Gemstone and Jewelry Association, says: “The Association has encouraged all its members to donate something to the “Joining Hands” program. The material value may be moderate, but the spiritual and aesthetic value of the items is beyond price.”

Huynh Dam, Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, says the “Joining Hands” program embraced the tradition of the haves helping the have-nots:  “This is a national program aimed at residential areas. It has shown the determination of the whole political system to care for the poor. This also follows Uncle Ho’s Thoughts and moral example toward the poor”, said Mr. Dam.

The “Joining Hands” program in Hanoi received 310 million USD from kindhearted people this year. The money will be allocated to the Fund for the Poor and social security programs to build houses, generate jobs, pay school and health care service fees, and build infrastructure in disadvantaged areas.