A rice ATM in Hanoi. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – “Rice ATMs” which have been set uparound Vietnam to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic have beenfeatured by international news broadcasters over the last few days.
The 24/7 automatic dispensing machines were invented by aVietnamese entrepreneur in Ho Chi Minh City to provide free rice for people outof work following an ongoing nationwide social distancing order to curb thespread of the pandemic, Reuters reported on April 13.
It quoted a Vietnamese woman whose husband was among those tolose their jobs as saying the rice ATMs have been helpful.
“With this one bag of rice, we can have enough for one day,”said Nguyen Thi Ly, a 34-year-old mother of three. “Now, we only need other food.Our neighbors sometimes give us some leftover food, or we have instantnoodles.”
The machine distributes a 1.5kg bagful of rice from a smallsilo to waiting workers, many of whom are street vendors or people who earn aliving from cash-in-hand jobs like housekeeping or selling lottery tickets,according to the news agency.
On the same day, CNN ran a story reporting businessmen anddonors who have set up machines that dispense free rice for people whoseincomes have been suddenly cut off in several cities across the country.
In Hanoi, rice contained in a large water tank dispenses intoresidents’ bags from 8am to 5pm, it quoted Vietnam News Agency as saying.
Those waiting in line are required to stand 2 metres apartand they must use hand sanitiser before receiving their rice, it said.
According to Reuters, Hoang Tuan Anh, the businessman behindthe idea, had initially donated a batch of smart doorbells to hospitals in HoChi Minh City before turning his technological expertise to food distribution.
Similar “rice ATMs” have been set up in other big citieslike Hanoi, Hue and Da Nang.
“I refer to this machine as a 'rice ATM' because people canwithdraw rice from it, assured that there are still good people out there whowant to give them a second chance,” he said.
CNN also reported that Vietnam has more than 260 COVID-19 cases andzero deaths, numbers that are significantly lower than the rest of the world./.
