Sharing love

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Mai, a resident of Tran Bien ward, runs a small grocery shop at home. Out of compassion for people with disabilities facing difficult circumstances in her neighborhood, each month she sets aside part of her profit to buy four gift bags (including rice and spices) worth 1.2 million VND, which she then gives to local disadvantaged residents. Whenever these individuals fall ill, she also provides financial support for treatment and calls on friends to contribute additional assistance.

Pham Thi Mai Huong, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Department of Health, presents certificates of merit from the Provincial People’s Committee to collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in social protection and child welfare work for the 2021-2025 period in Dong Nai province. Photo: Van Truyen

Recently, Ngoc Mai was recognized as one of the exemplary individuals honored by the Provincial Charity Association for her positive contributions to the community. Alongside professional social workers at agencies and organizations, volunteers like Ngoc Mai are contributing to the State's efforts to support individuals, families, and communities in need.

Each person, a way of support

Currently, nearly 142,000 cases across the province are receiving regular social assistance and social pensions, including children under 16 without caregivers, people living with HIV from poor households, impoverished single parents raising children, social pensioners, people with severe and extremely severe disabilities, and those being cared for within the community. In addition, 21 social protection facilities, including 2 public institutions, are providing care for nearly 1,400 individuals without family support.

Beyond the efforts of those engaged in social work at social protection facilities and professional social workers licensed by the State, community-based human resources play an important role in supporting people in need. In Dong Nai, these volunteers come from diverse backgrounds with various religions and ethnic groups, spanning different age groups. However, they all share the common goal of social work: helping individuals, groups, families, and communities address social issues.

Van Kiem, Deputy Director of the non-public social assistance facility An Vu Shelter in Dong Tam commune, shared that the center is currently caring for 50 children of different ages. With only three staff members managing all operations, the workload is immense. Fortunately, many local volunteers regularly come to assist whenever they have time. Together, professional social workers and volunteers like him share the same mission of supporting and caring for disadvantaged individuals.

In addition, numerous individuals and organizations actively contribute resources to social protection efforts. Nearly 2,000 beneficiaries are currently receiving regular support from the community through monthly or quarterly assistance under the campaign “each organisation, each individual linked to a humanitarian address." Among these, the Red Cross at various levels has connected 1,240 organizations and individuals to support 1,400 particularly disadvantaged cases. The Provincial Charity Association provides monthly assistance to 24 cases, while associations of victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin maintain support for 260 affected families.

According to Nguyen Phu Cuong, Chairman of the Provincial Charity Association, many individuals who regularly assist disadvantaged people through the Provincial Charity Association, despite having to cut back on their own daily spending, have not missed a single month in delivering food and essential goods on schedule to those they support. This endeavor shows that, although their contributions are entirely voluntary, those engaged in social work are highly responsible in carrying out their work.

Multiplying exemplary role models

To promptly recognize the contributions of individuals and organizations in social work, the Provincial People’s Committee recently awarded certificates of merit to 29 collectives and 78 individuals for their outstanding achievements in social protection and child welfare work during the 2021–2025 period in Dong Nai province. These honorees have actively helped, supported, and created opportunities for disadvantaged people in special circumstances, such as persons with disabilities, children, elderly seniors, patients with chronic illnesses, and people experiencing poverty, to improve their lives and help them integrate into the community.

To further promote the humanitarian values of social protection work, Pham Thi Mai Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, stated that the province will first focus on fully coordinating the implementation of programs, plans, regimes, and policies related to social protection and child welfare and strengthening state management functions in these areas. Priority will be given to policies supporting elderly seniors, promoting their role as prescribed in society, implementing community-based assistance for persons with disabilities, and coordinating with relevant departments, agencies, and local People’s Committees to guide non-public social protection facilities in properly receiving, managing, and caring for beneficiaries.

At the same time, the province will enhance inter-agency coordination in the prevention, intervention, and support of children; replicate models for child protection and care; and strengthen measures to prevent violence, abuse, and accidents involving children. Efforts will also continue to mobilize investment in diverse, high-quality non-public social protection facilities and nursing homes to ease the burden on the state budget and meet the growing care needs of the elderly and vulnerable groups amid an aging population.

According to Pham Thi Mai Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Health, the province hopes that organizations and individuals will continue to foster the spirit of compassion and solidarity so that social work activities linked to supporting individuals, groups, families, and communities in addressing social problems become a regular practice in residential areas.

By Van Truyen – Translated by Minh Hong, Minho