Scholarship Programs Support Poor People

Eleven scholarships worth VND22 million ($1,000) from donors and journalists were handed over to underprivileged students at colleges and schools in the central city last week. Representatives of the city’s Journalists Association, Phan Hoang Phuong, said the Lovely morning coffee, a charity fundraising program, has received VND1.2 billion ($52,173) from donors, businesses, local people and journalists since 2018. A fund of VND918 million ($40,000) from the program has been given to 223 poor students and patients to support them with education and hospital fees. Phuong said the association had raised VND568 million ($25,000) to support doctors and medical staff during social distancing orders for the prevention of COVID-19. She said a coffee morning on June 20 raised VND44 million from donors, providing more scholarships for poor students. The coffee morning, which was initiated by the association, is hosted on the first Saturday morning every month, calling for financial support from the community to help poor students. Also in charity activities in the city, a donation of rice, vegan instant noodles, vegan foods, milk, dish-washing detergent and fabric softener valued at approximately VND47 million (more than $2,000) was given to orphans at Quang Chau Pagoda in Hoa Vang district last week. The donation was made in cooperation between the Lifestart Foundation and the Danang Union of Friendship Organizations during series one of the Emergency Relief Distribution Days. The funds were raised by Lifestart Foundation and Karma Foundation. Karen Leonard, founder of Lifestart Foundation, said: “We hope the provision of this aid will not only help to support the daily life of these orphans but also help them to overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19.” In May 2020, Lifestart Foundation delivered 160 gift parcels valued at more than VND120 million ($5,200) to 160 disadvantaged students whose families had been affected by COVID-19 in Hoi An and ?i?n Bàn town in Quang Nam Province and Thua Thien-Hue Province. Lifestart Foundation is going to continue the Emergency Relief Distribution Days for disadvantaged students in Hoi An, Duy Xuyen and mountainous areas in Quang Nam Province. Household supply distribution is only one of the many community activities by Lifestart Foundation. Founded in 2000 by an Australian named Karen Leonard and supported by a team of dedicated volunteers, Lifestart Foundation is a grassroots, not-for-profit charity that helps disadvantaged Vietnamese families become self-sufficient. This is achieved through their two largest projects, Education Scholarships for disadvantaged students and their Housing Improvement project. Lifestart Foundation’s investment in disadvantaged youth of central Vietnam is in excess of VND16 billion. (Tien Phong)