Joining hands to bring Mid-Autumn joy to children

Caring for children is an investment in the future and in the country's sustainable development. Therefore, childcare has always been given due attention by authorities and sectors at all levels, particularly during festivals and special occasions for children.

Nguyen Hieu Trung, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai City Youth Union (DNYU), presents Mid-Autumn gifts to children in Cam My commune.

To ensure that every child, particularly those facing difficult circumstances, can enjoy a meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival, authorities, sectors and localities across the city have joined hands to organize a wide range of practical activities, bringing joy and warmth to children.

A warm and joyful Mid-Autumn Festival

After his father died and his mother left, 13-year-old Pham Thanh Danh, who now lives at the city's Center for Social Work and Child Protection Fund, stayed with his maternal grandparents. Danh had hoped that they would continue to love and care for him until he grew up. However, two years ago, as their health deteriorated and they were no longer able to look after him, they eventually sent him to a social protection facility in Long Phuoc Commune. He was later transferred to the city's Center for Social Work and Child Protection Fund.

Thanh Danh said that since arriving at the center, he has taken part in a variety of recreational and cultural activities on holidays and special occasions, particularly during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He has made many friends and received care and support from those around him. These activities have helped ease his homesickness and longing for his grandparents, giving him greater motivation to study and move forward in life.

For Tran Gia Huy, a seventh-grade student in Class 7/4 at Chu Van An Secondary School in Cam My commune, the Mid-Autumn Festival has always been a happy and memorable occasion. Huy said that every year, he joins his friends in lantern processions, lion dances and festive feasts and listens to stories about Chu Cuoi (the Moon Man) and Chi Hang (the Moon Lady). This year, he has also enjoyed playing on inflatable play structures, playing basketball and taking part in ring-toss games with his friends. “I hope that all children, not just us, can enjoy a joyful and warm Mid-Autumn night with their loved ones,” Huy said.

At 5 p.m., the “Full Moon Festival Night – Fairy-tale Moonlight” program at the Cho-ro Ethnic Cultural House in Duc Thang Hamlet, La Nga commune, had yet to begin, but Dieu Ngoc Nhu Ha, a seventh-grade student in Class 7/2 at Tuc Trung Secondary School and a member of the Cho-ro ethnic minority, had already arrived.

After waiting eagerly for more than two hours, Ha and the other children had just seen the program begin when it started to rain. The activities were then moved to the covered area inside the Cho-ro Ethnic Cultural House.

Nhu Ha said that although the activities had to take place in a cramped space, the lion dance, cultural performances and gift-giving still attracted a large number of children. She was delighted to take part in the games, watch the performances and receive gifts.

The fruits of collective efforts

The joyful and meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival for children was made possible by the joint efforts and contributions of authorities and sectors at all levels, localities, organizations, and individual benefactors.

 Nguyen Tran Phuong Ha, Deputy Secretary of the DNYU and Chairwoman of the city's Council of the Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers Organization, said that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival saw the city's YU, Youth-led Federation and Young Pioneers Organization launch a series of activities for children across the city. The activities and resources have been directed toward local communities, particularly disadvantaged, remote and border areas. To date, programs have been held in many localities, with tens of thousands of gifts presented to children.

 “What matters to us is not only the number of gifts, but also ensuring that every child, whether living in the city center or in remote areas, has the opportunity to enjoy a joyful and meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival. Therefore, in addition to mooncakes, milk, lanterns and other practical gifts, the programs have included recreational and experiential activities tailored to children, such as folk games, lantern processions, festive feasts, lantern-making contests, cultural performances, exchanges featuring Chu Cuoi and Chi Hang, and lion and dragon dances,” Ha said.

 “Some localities have also organized other practical activities, such as awarding scholarships under the ‘Supporting students on their way to school’ program, setting up Zero-VND stalls and supporting children in especially difficult circumstances,” she added.

Alongside city-level programs, the city's YU has directed YU chapters at the grassroots level to organize activities for local children. Accordingly, the chapters have coordinated with local authorities and schools to organize recreational events and present gifts, helping bring joy to children during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Children in La Nga commune enjoy a lion dance performance.

Trinh Nguyen Dan Tram, Secretary of the La Nga commune YU, said that in addition to jointly organizing the “Full Moon Festival Night – Fairy-tale Moonlight” program, the commune YU has coordinated with YU chapters to organize Mid-Autumn activities in individual hamlets. In addition to traditional activities and gift-giving, the organizers have arranged various games and experiential activities, giving children an opportunity to enjoy a memorable Mid-Autumn Festival.

Alongside the YU, Youth-led Federation and Young Pioneers Organization, Party committees, local authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) and socio-political organizations at all levels have also joined efforts to bring a meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival to children. Nguyen Duc Tien, Vice Chairman of the Xuan Hoa commune People's Committee, said that the commune Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee and VFF Committee had jointly organized two festive nights for children. In addition to recreational activities, lantern processions, feasts, lion dances and cultural performances, the organizers presented about 2,500 gifts to children. The commune People's Committee also instructed local schools to organize Mid-Autumn activities, ensuring that every child had an opportunity to celebrate the festival.

According to the DNYU, in addition to organizing activities for children across the city, the city’s YU and Youth Federation presented 300 gifts to children in disadvantaged areas of Tay Ninh Province during this year's Mid-Autumn Festival.

By N.Son – Translated by M.Nguyet, Thu Ha