Sharing with social protection facilities

The province currently has 21 licensed social protection facilities, 18 of which are non-public. These facilities are self-reliant in terms of human resources and funding to care for individuals who no longer have a support system in the community.

To share the burden with non-public social protection facilities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee of Dong Nai province and its member organizations have connected organizations and individuals to provide financial support for these institutions.

Providing shelter for nearly 1,800 people

At present, social protection facilities are caring for and supporting 1,800 children, elderly seniors, and persons with disabilities.

Every day, Pham Van Ngu, Director of Nhan Ai Bach Lam Social Protection Facility in Thong Nhat commune, and his staff wake up early to clean and prepare meals for 138 elderly seniors and children. He then takes eight children to school. Once everything at the facility is arranged, he leaves the work to others and travels more than 20 kilometers to plantations to collect surplus bananas from farmers to feed goats and cattle. The income from livestock farming helps him sustain the facility’s operations.

Vice Chairwoman of the provincial VFF Committee Luu Thi Ha presents gifts to social protection facilities in the province. Photo: Van Truyen

Ngu shared that maintaining operations requires stable funding. Therefore, his family strives to work and earn money to support the disadvantaged people who seek shelter at the facility. In addition, benefactors also come to provide support, but it is irregular.

Meanwhile, Van Kiem, Deputy Director of An Vu Shelter,  a non-public social protection facility in Dong Tam commune, added: “I have been with this shelter for nearly 15 years. Currently, we care for 50 children. The youngest is just three months old, while the oldest are university students or enrolled in vocational training programs. Daily operations are primarily handled by three core staff members, with three additional volunteers helping out when they have spare time.”

Of the 21 licensed social protection facilities, one operates as a private enterprise that charges full fees for its services. Meanwhile, two are public facilities managed by the State, and the remaining 18 are non-public.

Kiem further explained that each morning, he and two other staff members prepare breakfast, wake the children, assist them with personal hygiene, serve their meals, help them into their uniforms, and take them to school. For infants, they take turns providing round-the-clock care and scheduled feedings. As a non-public social protection facility, all infrastructure and operating costs must be self-funded. In addition to support from the religious congregation and the nuns, donations from benefactors help sustain the shelter’s operations.

Nguyen Thi Hong, Director of the Hoa Hao Social Support Center in Dai Phuoc commune, said the facility is currently caring for 80 elderly seniors, half of whom are no longer able to manage daily activities on their own. In addition to her and her husband, about 10 neighborhood volunteers regularly help care for the residents. Like the couple, these volunteers work without pay or allowances, driven by a shared desire to care for those less fortunate. To sustain the center’s operations, the couple relies on family resources and donations from generous individuals and organizations.

Seeking support for social protection facilities

Given the circumstances of non-public social protection facilities, the provincial VFF Committee and its member organizations have worked to connect organizations and individuals to provide operational funding.

Over the past four years, the provincial VFF Committee, in coordination with the Executive Board of Bien Hoa That Phu Temple and the Bien Hoa Chinese Liaison Committee, has maintained a joint program to implement social welfare initiatives in Dong Nai. Specifically, every quarter, they support two facilities with VND 20 million each, 600kg of rice, 50 boxes of instant noodles, 20 cartons of fresh milk, and dozens of kilograms of fruit.

According to Huynh Huu Nghia, Head of the Executive Board of Bien Hoa That Phu Temple, in recent years, the Chinese community in Dong Nai has actively participated in social welfare activities, including supporting social protection facilities. He said the community is pleased to see contributions reaching those in need, and these activities will continue in the future.

In addition, ahead of each new school year and during holidays and Tet, the Provincial Red Cross and benefactors visit social protection facilities to provide rice, milk, and essential goods; offer free haircuts; and organize soft skills activities for children.

The provincial VFF Committee hopes to continue receiving contributions from individuals and organizations to carry out social welfare programs, including supporting social protection facilities, in order to care for disadvantaged people in society collectively.

Vice Chairman of the provincial VFF Committee Nguyen Tan Phu

Furthermore, the provincial VFF Committee and its member organizations proactively seek out and expand networks of benefactors to support social protection facilities.

Nguyen Huu Son, Head of the Supervisory Board of the Dong Nai General Agricultural Service Cooperative Alliance, said that when the provincial VFF Committee called for support, the cooperative donated gifts worth more than VND 1.46 billion. Previously, the cooperative's social welfare efforts were mainly focused on the broader community. However, through the coordination of the provincial VFF Committee, it has begun supporting social protection facilities and plans to continue doing so in the future.

By Song Thao - Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho