The program was attended by Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children; Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Secretary of the Can Tho City Party Committee; Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Vice Chairman of the Can Tho City People's Committee, and leaders of the Fatherland Front of 13 provinces.

Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc and Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu attended the "Lighting up belief for children" program. (Photo: Minh Anh).

The program aims to mobilize gifts, scholarships, surgery support and livelihoods for 15,000 disabled children nationwide; including 1,300 disabled children in difficult circumstances who have overcome difficulties to rise up in the Mekong Delta.

In the immediate future, of the 1,300 gifts for the Mekong Delta, Can Tho City will receive 130 gifts, the remaining 12 provinces will receive 100 gifts/province. If more are mobilized, more will be distributed to increase the number. Each gift is worth at least 1 million VND in cash and some other essential items. It is even more meaningful when this gift comes to the children at the beginning of the new school year and on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children, said that in recent years, the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children has had many practical activities, responding to campaigns and patriotic emulation movements, building safe facilities for disabled children

Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc, Chairman of the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children, spoke at the program "Lighting up belief for children". (Photo: Minh Anh).

This year's "Light up belief for children" program aims to continue to spread love for children, help and support disabled children to have faith, confidence and determination to rise up in life.

The program aims to mobilize gifts, scholarships, surgical support, disability support equipment and livelihood support for over 15,000 disabled children nationwide; directly mobilize support for up to 1,330 disabled children in difficult and special circumstances, exemplary in overcoming difficulties to rise up in life and study in the provinces of the Southwest.

Previously, in July and August 2024, the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children coordinated with the Vietnam Fund for Disabled Children to organize the program "Supporting disabled children in mountainous areas to go to school", helping and supporting 1,000 disabled children with difficult circumstances of school age in 10 mountainous and border provinces such as Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. Each child was supported with 2 million VND to have the conditions to go to school in the new school year 2024-2025.

Mr. Ngo Sach Thuc, Chairman of the Association, and Ms. Do Thi Hue, Vice President of the Vietnam Association for the Relief of Disabled Children, presented gifts to the representative children.

In recent years, the party and the state have paid attention to perfecting policies and laws on children, having protection policies and issuing action programs with goals, tasks and solutions for all levels and sectors to join hands in caring for and protecting children, including paying attention to children with disabilities and children in special circumstances. 78% of children with disabilities have health insurance cards, 35% of disabled children have been rehabilitated.

However, more than 90% of children with disabilities lack access to basic social services such as education, health care, nutrition, housing, clean water and sanitation, information, social integration and a safe living environment. The opportunity to go to school for children with disabilities is lower than that of normal children.

Representatives of sponsors presented gifts to children with disabilities.

Most children with disabilities under 16 years old have disabilities in movement, hearing, language, vision, intelligence, etc. and come from poor and near-poor households living in urban, rural and remote areas. Access to services is still limited and has not been evaluated.

Therefore, the program aims to promote and call on many organizations, businesses, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists to participate in supporting children to have more determination to rise up in life./.