To ensure that all children have a Mid-Autumn Festival, all relevant localities, departments and branches have up to now developed very thoughtful plans. In addition to children's festival programs, lantern processions, and parades, thousands of children in difficult circumstances will be given gifts, offered visits and encouragement on the occasion.
In recent days, Trade Unions at all levels in the province have organized visits and given gifts to children of workers in localities.
Rich festival program
In recent days, the colors of Mid-Autumn Festival have gradually appeared in every family. The meaningful moon cakes for workers and children of workers were delivered to each room and household by businesses and trade unions in the province. So that all children in the area can have a Mid-Autumn Festival, authorities at all levels have reviewed the list of children in particularly difficult circumstances to take care of. Along with that, districts, towns and cities all have unique and meaningful festival programs for children.
Typically in Thu Dau Mot city, the city government has mobilized resources to support and care for children, especially children in special circumstances and children from poor and difficult households. Accordingly, the city will give gifts to 2,650 children in difficult circumstances including cash and cakes worth VND 400,000 a portion, organize cultural programs, camping, lantern making competitions, cultural competitions, and folk games. The main festival program with the theme of "Colors of the moonlit night" is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. on September 26 (August 12 of the lunar calendar) and there will be more than 300 attending children. The program includes many contents such as lantern procession with performances of lions and dragons, and lantern formation. Along with that are children's cultural performances and feasts on a moonlit night. The program also awarded 33 scholarships to poor students overcoming difficulties in the area, and gave gifts to 120 children in particularly difficult circumstances.
Tran Bao Lam, Vice Chairman of Thu Dau Mot City People's Committee said: "In addition to the city's main festival program, each ward depending on conditions develops a plan to organize a Mid-Autumn Festival for children in the area, especially for children who cannot attend the city's main festivals. Taking good care of the Mid-Autumn Festival for children not only contributes to preserving the traditional holiday, but also demonstrates the responsibility of each family, school, and community in the cause of protection, care, and education of children and exercising children's rights."
In industrial zones and clusters, trade unions in the province have developed a program to organize the Mid-Autumn Festival for children of workers quite thoughtfully. Do Van Phung, Director of the provincial Center for Supporting Youths and Young Workers, said: "This year, the center plans to organize a Mid-Autumn Festival program for children on September 29 to include many entertaining content for children such as children's entertainment, performances of lions and dragons, play of the festival and other useful games. It is expected that the main program will have the participation of 500 to 1,000 children of workers in the area. The program will give gifts to all children, including 200 gifts reserved for children in particularly difficult circumstances. In addition, the center also directs 23 affiliated branches in the enterprise and 45 connected clubs to carry out gift-giving activities and organize entertainment for children at the units.”
Caring for children is especially hard
Talking to reporter, Nguyen Ngoc Hang, Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, said that this year, the provincial-level Mid-Autumn Festival program is expected to be held alternately in Tan Uyen city on September 28 with a budget of VND 196 million from the provincial budget and 300 children from the province will attend. In addition to the provincial budget, Tan Uyen city also allocated funds for organizing and giving Mid-Autumn Festival gifts from the city budget of VND 500 million. The total budget for organizing the Mid-Autumn Festival at the provincial level is VND 700 million.
To take care of children in particularly difficult circumstances, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs advises the provincial People's Committee to organize delegations to visit and give gifts to children at 16 disabled child care centers and social protection facilities in and around the country with 913 gifts worth nearly VND 300 million including moon cakes and cash of VND 200,000 a part from the provincial budget. The Department has instructed the Divisions of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of districts, towns and cities to advise People's Committees at the same level to organize Mid-Autumn Festival for children in the area, coordinated with the Divisions of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Thu Dau Mot city, Thuan An city, Tan Uyen city and Ben Cat town to visit and give gifts to 1,200 children participating in 40 "Children with HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control" clubs at a total value of VND 200 million.
Nguyen Ngoc Hang added that the Divisions of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of districts, towns and cities has advised the People's Committee at the same level to proactively arrange funding sources, mobilize units and businesses located in the area to support funds and gifts for children in particularly difficult circumstances, organize delegations to visit and give gifts to children in special circumstances, children from poor households, nearly-poor households, children of workers, and workers from outside the province who come to work and live in Binh Duong - an organization that awards scholarships to poor children overcoming difficulties.
On September 27, the provincial Children's Fund Sponsoring Council will organize the 22nd Mid-Autumn Festival and Scholarship Awarding in 2023, which is expected that 397 scholarships are giving out to encourage schooling with a budget of VND 397 million. 294 provincial scholarships, 31 bicycles, 9 computers with a cost of VND 969 million are expected to be awarded to excellent students. The program also awards long-term support to 56 children orphaned by the COVID-19 epidemic with an amount of VND 263 million, awards 1,080 Mid-Autumn Festival gifts worth VND 810 million (each gift worth VND 750,000 for The total funding of VND 2.439 billion.
Reported by Quang Tam – Translated by Vi Bao
