Children with cleft palate are presented with gifts in a programme held by the National Fund for Vietnamese Children. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) –The National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) has raised more than 5.5trillion VND (241.8 million USD) and thousands of tonnes of gifts for some 30million children since it was founded 25 years ago.
The NFVC wasestablished by the government on May 4, 1992 to gather donations fromorganisations and individuals to help the country achieve its goals inchildcare and protect children’s rights in accordance with the 1990 UN Conventionon the Rights of the Child.
It has funded heartsurgeries, worth approximately 80 billion VND, for nearly 2,000 children in its15-year programme “For children’s heart”. The fund launched its operation smileprogramme in 1994, since then it has supported surgeries for about 30,000 childrenwith cleft palate at a cost of 70 billion VND.
Individuals andorganisations have donated to these charitable surgeries through NFVC,including Operation Smile, Australia’s Vietnam Outreach, US-based ESSO and theMinistry of Finance.
Since 2000, the fundhas also offered long-term assistance to about 1,000 orphans or children whoseparents suffer disabilities or are unable to work to help them continue theireducation.
It has worked with apartner from the Republic of Korea to provide support to children with autismfrom poor families since 2014.
The NFVC aims toraise about 80 billion VND and support 55,000 underprivileged children annuallyby 2020, NFVC Director Hoang Van Tien said, adding that it will prioritiseactivities that provide long-term care.
In addition, thefund will pay more attention to postoperative care for children and eye careprojects at schools while building boarding schools for children in remoteareas.
It has been workingwith a group of experts on a project to provide comprehensive care for childrenfrom the Dan Lai ethnic minority group.-VNA
VNA
