“New Sunlight for Children”, a charitable group of Vietnamese people in Sydney, have gathered in celebration of the Lunar New Year (Tet), a way for them to not only exchange the best wishes but also maintain the homeland’s cultural traditions.
A drum performance by children at the Tet celebration held by New Sunlight for Children. (Photo: VNA)
The annual event, held on February 1 (the fourth day of the Year of the Snake), attracted a large number of overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in Sydney and locals.
It recreated a traditional Tet space with kumquat plants, peach and yellow apricot blossoms, and parallel couplets. Tet delicacies such as “banh chung” and “banh tet” (square and cylindrical glutinous rice dishes), along with candied fruit also added to the expats’ nostalgia for the homeland.
The event became vibrant with musical performances in the Vietnamese language by the children born in Australia but still educated on their origin. After that, children were given lucky money by elder people as a traditional practice during Tet to wish them good health and good learning.
Bui Duong Hien, a founding member and Vice President for group development at New Sunlight for Children, said that founded in April 2015, it is a social and charitable group of OVs who share the intention of assisting less privileged children in Vietnam to access learning opportunities to have a brighter future.
With its membership now reaching 400, over the last 10 years, through various activities such as making calendars, producing paper bags, holding walking and cycling programmes, and organising Tet celebrations, New Sunlight for Children has raised over 92,000 AUD (57,300 USD) and presented more than 500 gift packages to support children with disadvantages in Vietnam.
In addition, Hien noted, it has coordinated with Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, a non-governmental charity of Australia operating in Vietnam since 2002, to help disabled children, street children, and victims of human trafficking. It has donated over 90,000 AUD to this organisation so far.
Ho Minh Giang, a founding member and Vice President for external relations and communications at New Sunlight for Children, said the group wishes to connect with many other organisations to help uphold and popularise the Vietnamese culture and maintain annual activities, including fundraising events, to assist disadvantaged children in the homeland.
He also expressed his hope that the group’s activities for poor students will be expanded to more localities in Vietnam./.
VNA