Ever since Covid-19 first hit Vietnam in 2020, the government’s motto in dealing with the pandemic has been to “leave no one behind”. And time and time again, it has proven that it fully intends to follow through with that promise: struggling citizens are given support, while those stuck in quarantine are ensured sufficient supplies and, in certain cases, assistance money.
Now, some citizens in Da Nang have sought ways to give back. Deciding that they still have enough to fulfill their needs, they’ve passed their assistance money on to frontliners as a gesture of gratitude.
Here’s how the story plays out.
A representative of the residents giving the money to the building’s security guard
Image credit: Tuổi Trẻ
On the morning of 6th August, residents of an apartment in Son Tra District, Da Nang city delivered a sum of VND1,500,000 (~USD65.17) to officers and volunteers on Covid-19 prevention duty in the area, Tuổi Trẻ reported.
The money was reportedly donated by those living on the 8th floor of the apartment.
“It was assistance money from the government. Upon receiving the money, we discussed online and agreed to give the sum back to frontliners and less fortunate families in the area,” a representative of the residents told Tuổi Trẻ.
“It is a modest sum, but it shows our gratitude toward frontliners, who work day and night under intense heat to keep us safe,” he added.
The representative also mentioned that they’d only initiated the idea earlier that morning, so they couldn’t garner a larger sum. However, as residents on other floors of the apartment learned of the movement, they started to join in.
All residents in 5 of Son Tra District’s wards will receive assistance money
Image credit: Vietnamnet
All Da Nang residents have had to follow a tight social distancing protocol for a couple of weeks now. However, those living in 5 of Son Tra District’s wards, including Phuoc My, An Hai Tay, Tho Quang, Man Thai, and Nai Hien Dong, are placed under an even stricter lockdown, where they pretty much had to stay home 24/7. All 5 of these areas are currently Covid-19 hotspots in the city.
Of course, that means many people cannot go to work and face financial difficulty. To ensure everyone’s wellbeing, authorities have launched an assistance project. According to it, all citizens living in these 5 wards will receive VND40,000 (~USD1.74) a day.
The amount might not look like much at first glance, but with hundreds of thousands of citizens who’ll probably need support for several weeks, the city expects to spend VND100 billion (~USD4,344,900) on this program.
The amount donated by the apartment’s residents might not have been much, but it sure made a difference. If nothing else, it’s a morale boost for the frontliners, and a good example for others to follow.
Vietnam is facing a difficult time, but we’re all in this together. If you are in need, rest assured that you can always count on the community for help. Meanwhile, if you feel you have enough to get by for now, don’t forget to leave more for others.
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Cover image adapted from Vietnamnet and Tuổi Trẻ
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