Hanoi (VNA) – Various activities will be held across the country inresponse to the Day for the Poor in Vietnam (October 17) and an action monthfor the poor.

Accordingly, an action month calling for the joint efforts of the entirecountry to support the poor will be launched in Hanoi on October 17 by theVietnam Father Front Central Committee.

Agencies, organisations, and individuals at home and abroad, who have providedsignificant support for the poor and the disadvantaged in their residentialareas, will be honoured at the launch ceremony.

A range of activities will be held during the action month to honour exemplarydistricts, communes, and households who have recorded positive performances inpoverty reduction, as well as encouraging further support from businesses,agencies, and individuals in order to help the poor.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will launch a text messagingcampaign, in which people can send a text message to the National HumanityPortal at 1400 to donate 20,000 VND to the poor.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs willcoordinate with ministries and sectors to organise a conference honouringoutstanding localities and examples of poverty reduction for the 2016-2020period, and an awards ceremony to grant press awards on the poverty reductionefforts.

More than 50 trillion VND (nearly 2.15 billion USD) was donated to the NationalFund for the Poor and social welfare programmes in localities nationwide fromDecember 2000 to September 2018.

The money has been used to build and repair nearly 1.5 million houses for poorhouseholds across the country and to implement thousands of projects and socialwelfare programmes targeting the poor.-VNA