Hope Foundation delivers Tet gifts to Covid orphans

Around 1,100 packages were delivered to children in different districts of Ho Chi Minh City on Friday and Saturday, before another 386 packages were given out in its neighboring Binh Duong and Dong Nai provinces on Sunday.

Each package consists of VND1 million ($44) in cash, a schoolbag and food items.

HCMC, the epicenter of the fourth coronavirus wave, reported more than 1,400 children losing parents to Covid-19. Some lost their mothers at birth.

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Van, a 9-year-old girl, joined her younger brother at a gift handover ceremony in District 8 on Friday. Their mother died due to Covid-19 and their father has been struggling to make ends meet offering motorbike taxi rides.

Van was excited with the new schoolbag in the Tet package. "There's a lot of space to hold my books and other things."

Nguyen Ngoc Khanh Van checks her new schoolbag gifted by Hope Foundation in HCMC, January 14, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Truong Quang Nam, 12, in Binh Duong Province, said his father was infected with Covid-19 while working as a guard and died in August, on his birthday.

"My sister and I will study hard to make mom happy," Nam said upon receiving his gifts.

Nguyen Xuan Tu, Hope Foundation's director, addressed the orphans at a ceremony in HCMC: "We hope these small gifts will help give you a warm Tet, as they come with the love of thousands of VnExpress readers, and their message is that you are not alone.

"Let's be hopeful because no one loses everything. I hope you stay strong and find peace in life."

The "Tet with hope for Covid orphans" campaign received support from FPT staff, lottery company Vietlott, VnExpress readers, users of mobile wallet MoMo, Uniqlo Vietnam and delivery service Best Express.

This was the fifth Tet gift campaign organized by Hope. The foundation has been giving out more than 1,000 gifts each year since 2018 to poor, disabled and vulnerable people.