Vietnam Post donates 820 tonnes of rice to pandemic victims

Responding to the government's call and realizing the Ministry of Information and Communications’ plan to ensure essential goods for those hard hit by Covid-19, the Vietnam Post and partners – EMS, Post and Telecommunication Joint Stock Insurance Corporation (PTI), Southeast Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SeABank), and Nam A Commercial Joint Stock Bank – have launched a program to give 820 tonnes of rice to some 273,000 to people in eight southern provinces.

Time rice assistance

Vietnam Post and partners began their rice donation program on August 5 with an initial target of donating 700 tonnes to 233,000 residents of Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Long An, Tien Giang, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

On August 11, the donors decided to increase the amount by 120 tonnes and add Ben Tre Province to the list, taking the total number of beneficiaries to more than 273,000.

The program’s beneficiaries included struggling households, the elderly and disabled, students, freelancers and the unemployed in localities severely affected by the pandemic.

Vietnam Post General Director Chu Quang Hao said that through the program, Vietnam Post would like to encourage and ease the plight of those affected by Covid-19. This is not only a meaningful and humane program according to the tradition of “good leaves cover torn leaves” but also the national postal service’s responsibility to the country, Hao said.

Since August 5, post offices of provinces and cities have been coordinating with local agencies to promptly deliver the free rice to the needy.

Vo Thanh Liem living in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5 said that apart from receiving state financial support, which is enough for him to pay rent, electricity and water, he has received assistance from authorities at all levels, organizations and businesses.

Love is all around

Liem said he was happy to receive rice assistance from Vietnam Post and partners and to see that people like him are not forgotten during the pandemic.

According to Nguyen Thi Thu Van, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Post Office, her staff worked with authorities of locked down and or isolated areas in the city to help deliver the rice safely and quickly.

According to Duong Thi Viet Huong, Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Province Post Office, her agency cooperated with the provincial people's committee, Fatherland Front, Red Cross and Youth Union to safely deliver rice to beneficiaries. “We felt extremely touched when receiving a lot of thanks and encouragement from the recipients,” Huong said.

Phung Trong Vu, a postman from the Dong Nai Province’s Bien Hoa City Post Office said those delivering the rice keep a safe distance from the beneficiaries. When he brought rice to a resident in Bien Hoa City, he placed the rice five meters away from his house, called him and left. Only then did the recipient take the rice.

Apart from the rice donation program, Vietnam Post donated tens of tonnes of rice and hundreds of millions of dong to a number of humanitarian and charity centers in localities hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Vietnam Post General Director Chu Quang Hao said even after the pandemic is controlled, Vietnam Post will continue to carry out social security programs to help the community and the government surmount difficulties.