Returning to the former lockdown area because of Covid-19, seeing children, who lost their fathers, lost their mothers due to the disease, are trying to overcome tough months and days, everyone is heartbroken. Therefore, the Provincial Labor Confederation has been trying to mobilize each business and benefactor to care for and give meaningful gifts with the desire to help children grow up every day.
Representatives of Binh Duong Customs Department and the Provincial Labor Confederation present 10 savings books to Covid-19 orphans having difficult circumstances, with a total cost of VND 200 million.
To share difficulties
In March and April, delegations of the Provincial Labor Confederation and Binh Duong Customs Department came to each lodging houses, everybody was so touched as listening to difficulties of fathers and mothers who are carrying burdens, raising their children alone. The gift-givers had tears in their eyes. The gift-receivers also cried. The tears were full of humanity, bigger than all words.
Receiving the support of VND 20 million from the delegation, Dang Thi Diem's hands trembled, her voice choked and was not able to say thank you. Months after Nguyen Phuc Thanh (Diem's husband), a worker of Hai An Company (Thuan An City), died from Covid-19, all four mother and children still live in a small lodging room in Khanh Hoi quarter, Tan Phuoc Khanh ward, Tan Uyen Town. The eldest child is over 10 years old, and the youngest is less than 2 years old. Diem used to be at home to take care of her children, now her husband is dead, hence she has to go to work to earn money to support her children. Assuming the heavy burden from her husband to raise and teach the children, earn money to cover the family’s expenses, and also the lack of warmth, the laughter of a breadwinner makes her much older. Thinking about the future of her children, she couldn't hold back tears.
In order to earn money, every day Diem does outwork at home. Every day, she tries to work until late, but receive only 70,000 - 80,000 VND. She also mends clothes to earn a little more income. Working throughout the day, her soft, tiny hands have become rough day by day for the sake of her children.
Le Thi Hanh, a worker at Poong in Vina Company (Tan Uyen Town), cried as talking about her family's circumstance. Hanh's husband was also a worker, unfortunately died from the Covid-19 in September 2021. Currently, she is raising two young children alone, with a tiny income of 6-7 million / month to cover expenses of food, school fees, and bank debts. Hanh said, "My husband's death was so sudden, so I still couldn't help it. Two years ago, my husband and I borrowed money from our families, borrowed a loan to buy house. I thought that we would work together and pay off the debt and take care of the kids. But then the pandemic came, now I am raising my children alone and incurring a debt of nearly VND 500,000 million."
The 10 families that the delegation visited have poor circumstances. The pandemic, not only took fathers and mothers away from many children, but also stole the beautiful future from children. The amount of VND 200 million from the program "Giving savings books to orphans" launched by Youth Union of the General Department of Customs is a timely and meaningful activity of trade unions and customs workers to help children overcome difficulties at this time.
Continue to take care
Nguyen Hoang Bao Tran, Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial Labor Confederation, said: "After the pandemic, the Provincial Labor Confederation carried out many activities to care for and support workers, children of workers, especially children whose parents died as a result of the pandemic. The Provincial Labor Confederation continues to call for and collaborated with benefactors and businesses in the province to support the children in the coming time."
Some practical support activities of Provincial Labor Confederation were handing over 65 savings books of Vietnam Trade Union to Covid-19 orphans, worth VND 10 million/book; make a list of 74 children sent to Labor Confederation of provinces and cities throughout the country to give more savings books to many orphans. As of April 24, the Provincial Labor Confederation in collaboration with Vietinbank instructed workers to complete the procedures to soon open the Vietnam Trade Union savings book (second phase) for Covid-19 orphans. These units assessed and approved more than 80 applications to support the children during The Workers' Month.
Recently, trade unions in the province have also called for benefactors, units and businesses to give many meaningful gifts to orphans, especially in the early days of the new school year after the pandemic and the Lunar New Year 2020, such as: Awarding scholarships, donating computers, mobile phones and school supplies, clothing; to repair lodging rooms, shop for Tet’s goods. These activities partly helped the children in their lives, as well as feel the warmth after the great pain caused by the pandemic.
Reported by Quang Tam – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
