More than 7,000 poor women nationwide receive houses

The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) Central Committee announced at a meeting on January 6 that its local chapters have raised more than VND64 billion to help build 7,000 houses for women in difficult circumstances.  

Last year, a campaign to build houses for poor women was launched nationwide and receive valuable support from international and domestic businesses, organizations, benefactors and local union members, said Tran Thanh Binh Vice President of the VWU Central Committee.

Photo: VOV
The Vice President highlighted great efforts made by provinces, cities, the union’s chapters and members in building houses for poor women.

The VWU Central Committee urges its local chapters to continue with the “Day for the Poor Women” campaign and ensure that at least two poor women will receive new houses a day this year.

The VWU Central Committee granted certificates of merit to 12 most outstanding students who achieved the highest markets at the university entrance exams in 2010.

Hanoi sets up fund for AO/Dioxin victims

The Hanoi Fund for Agent Orange/Dioxin victims will make its debut on January 14, announced the city Department of Natural Resources and Environment at a press conference on January 6.

The fund is expect to raise VND1 billion for the purpose of buying 1,000 gifts and 500 saving books (each worth VND500,000) for AO victims in the lunar New Year festival (Tet). 

Hanoi currently has nearly 35,000 AO victims, including 19,000 who have not yet enjoyed any allowances. 

Since its establishment, the Hanoi Association for Agent Orange/ Dioxin Victims has raised more thanVND10 billion for various activities such as visiting, giving free medical treatment, wheelchairs and repairing houses for 20,000 AO victims.

Traditional Tet specialties go abroad

Pickled Welsh onion, square sticky rice cake, traditional jam, sugar-coated fruit and many other Vietnamese favourites in the lunar New Year festival (Tet) have been shipped to Vietnamese living in Japan, Europe and the US.

The Tran Gia Company in the southern region has exported 30 tonnes of square and cylindrical sticky rice cakes and phrynium leaves (used in wrapping the cakes) to large Vietnamese communities in France and the US for Tet celebration.
The Ngoc Lien food company in HCM City has sent to the US three containers of Tet specialties, including pickled Welsh onions and rice papers to make spring roll wrappings. The company owner, Pham Thi Ngoc Lien, said there is a huge demand for these products on the threshold of Tet.
Business managers said export orders for Tet specialties have risen between 25 and 30 percent in the two months before Tet compared to previous months and prices have risen by 10 percent year on year.
Tet specialties have become popular in supermarkets in foreign countries.

Presenting Tet gifts to poor Vietnamese residents in Cambodia

500 poor Vietnamese and 200 Cambodian families have received Tet gifts and free medical checks-up and medicines.

A delegation from the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs in Ho Chi Minh City left the city on January 6 for Cambodia to offer Tet gifts to the Vietnamese community there.

They provided medical checks-up and medicines to 500 poor families in Rang Tul village, Kan Dieng district, Pur Sat province, including 300 Vietnamese and 200 Cambodian and Tet gifts worth VND400,000 each family. Gifts include cash, essential food and foodstuff, Vietnamese textbooks, notebooks and historical books. The total spending of VND230 million came from the city’s budget.

During their stay in Cambodia, the delegation will visit the Vietnamese Consulate and the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Pur Sat.

The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee has approved a plan for overseas Vietnamese during the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet). Accordingly, the city has asked the Southern Aviation Corporation and policemen at Tan Son Nhat International Airport to welcome Vietnamese nationals back home and help them go through procedures quickly.

The municipal Party Committee, People’s Council and People’s Committee will hold a meeting to welcome New Year at the city hall on January 25, 2011 with the participation of around 1,000 overseas Vietnamese.

Babysitter on trial for assaulting 3-year-old girl

Tran Thi Phung, 52, stood before the People's Prosecuracy in Binh Duong Province's Thuan An District for assaulting Ho Thi Thuy Ngan, a 3-year-old girl.

Phung was arrested two months ago after a video was posted online of the event. Phung assaulted Ngan while she was giving the girl a bath.

The victim's family is asking for VND5 million (US$ 250) in compensation.

Ngan's father Ho Minh Luc said that the girl is now attending at a public pre-school but is very afraid of taking baths.

Phung managed a day-care centre in Thuan Giao commune. According to the verdict by the prosecuracy, Phung illegally started the day-care centre at her house in 2003.

Seven vans and a truck were destroyed in a fire at a bus station in Bien Hoa yesterday morning, Jan 6.

An electrical fault caused one of the vans to catch alight and the flames quickly spread to the other vehicles, according to station authorities.

It took firefighters two hours to douse the flames but by then, all the vehicles had been destroyed, with only their steel frames remaining.

The authorities said the vans were waiting for their turn to leave for destinations in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta while others were being serviced.

Pupils to get time off in cold weather

Students from kindergartens and elementary schools in Ha Noi would not have to attend school should the temperature drop below 10 degrees Celsius during the day, said the Ha Noi Department of Education and Training on Wednesday.

The same regulation would apply to secondary school students if the temperature fell below seven degrees Celsius.

The temperature in Ha Noi dropped to 10 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Fifth methadone clinic opens in HCM City

HCM City yesterday opened its fifth methadone clinic in District 8 as part of efforts to extend the methadone programme to 80,000 intravenous drug users in 30 localities nationwide by 2015.

The clinic was supported by the city administration and the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)/USAID via Family Health International (FHI) Vietnam, an international NGO, according to a press release.

The clinic will provide comprehensive treatment for 250 drug users in the district as well as neighbouring districts, including methadone maintenance therapy, general healthcare, drug dependence counselling and peer support.

Since HCM City was chosen to participate in a pilot methadone programme by the Ministry of Health in 2008, five methadone clinics have been set up in districts 4, 6, 8, Binh Thanh and Thu Duc.

VNN/VOV/VNS