Hanoi (VNA) -๊ “As a parent, nothing is more painful than seeing your child sick and feeling helpless. But looking back, I know I’m still luckier than many others. In the most difficult moments, even on the edge of despair, there are always kind-hearted people willing to help despite never having met us."

H.V.T. from Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province, expressed his deep gratitude in a letter to the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) and kind donors – strangers who funded surgery for his two-year-old daughter, H.T.P., born with a congenital heart defect, giving her a chance at a new life.

Bringing light to those in those in need

T. said that his daughter was born with a congenital heart defect and required surgery to close a ductus arteriosus before she was even a month old. With a family living off subsistence farming in one of Vietnam’s most remote and impoverished mountain districts, T. and his wife had no idea how to afford the treatment. Then came a miracle - the VSF and kind donor C.H.D. covered all surgery costs. A month after discharge, his daughter’s health had stabilised and she was recovering well. This is just one of hundreds of children with congenital heart defects who have received life-saving surgery thanks to support from the VSF and generous donors.

Seeing his daughter laugh and play, H.V.T. was overwhelmed with emotion, realising that amidst the hustle and bustle of life, there are still quiet but meaningful journeys that spread love and light up hope for those less fortunate. Like H.V.T., N.T.A.N. in Vinh Phuc province once felt hopeless, as the cost of treatment for her child far exceeded what her family could afford. In the past six months, her 9-year-old son, N.N.M., underwent three surgeries for osteomyelitis in his right shin. The condition left him in constant pain and with limited mobility, making the treatment journey especially difficult. Their family situation is also challenging—N.N.M.’s father left when he was little, and he now lives with his mother and maternal grandparents. The family relies solely on N.T.A.N.’s income as a teacher, but she had to take unpaid leave from work to care for her son full time. In the face of such hardship, the VSF covered the full cost of surgery and treatment for N.N.M. “If it weren’t for the sponsors, I truly don’t know how I would have managed,” N.T.A.N. said emotionally. N.N.M. is one of 40 children who benefited from the VSF’s mobility disability treatment programme in 2023 and 2024, with total support amounting to nearly 841 million VND. This valuable fund is made possible through community contributions raised via the S-Race student running event. As the exclusive charity partner of S-Race since 2023, the VSF has pledged 5,000 VND for each in-person participant at provincial events, and an additional 200 VND for every kilometer completed in the online S-Race Family and S-Race School challenges. These meaningful runs not only give children like N.N.M. a chance to recover, but also help spread a spirit of kindness throughout the community.

Apart from supporting children with serious illnesses, one of the regular activities of the VSF is providing long-term sponsorship, ranging from 3 to 5 years, for disadvantaged children and those orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation also steps in to offer urgent assistance to children in special circumstances, ensuring they have a safe environment, proper care, and continued access to education. Founded in 2021, Hope School is home to 193 children from 41 provinces who lost their family members to COVID-19. Since the 2022–2023 school year, the VSF and TH Group have donated tens of thousands of TH true MILK cartons annually to the school, supporting the students’ nutrition, strengthening their health, and ensuring they have the energy needed for learning and play. Over the past three years, more than 83,000 cartons of milk have been delivered directly to the children.

Raising voices for women’s equality

In addition to supporting disadvantaged children with serious illnesses, the VSF also focuses on empowering vulnerable groups, particularly women and girls, by helping them build a new life with financial independence and self-determined thinking.

The combination of the “Voices for Equality” project and the campaign "Let's orange with TH" is not only a social strategy but also an inspiring story of community strength and perseverance. The tireless efforts of the VSF and TH Group have sparked a wave of positive change, spreading throughout society to build a better community—one where everyone feels heard, respected, and empowered to thrive. In every step of the project, the spirit of solidarity and compassion has been a powerful and invisible force, driving change and bringing hope to tens of thousands of people. Launched in 2022 by the VSF, the “Voices for Equality” project aims to eliminate gender stereotypes and improve the livelihoods for women, especially those from ethnic minority communities. Through awareness campaigns, training sessions, and targeted programmes, the project has opened a hopeful new chapter for women and girls in Vietnam. Built on understanding, respect, and community connection, it is not just a social initiative, but an emotional journey where once-forgotten voices are now heard with pride and power. At the project’s workshops and seminars, many women said that they felt “reborn”—empowered to voice their true desires. Tears of joy were shed as they realised they were not alone, but backed by a supportive and caring community. The training sessions offered more than knowledge, they became a source of inspiration, helping women build confidence to break through invisible barriers, pursue economic opportunities, and take control of their financial futures. H.T.M., a member of the "moving forward" livelihood group in Muong Chanh commune, Mai Son district, Son La province, where the VSF and CARE International in Vietnam provided 300 million VND in 2023 to support coffee cultivation and livestock farming, said “the funding meant a lot to our family. We used it to expand our poultry flock and improve living conditions.” Her heartfelt words, echoed by many other women, reflect the deep gratitude and joy of communities receiving support, opening the door to a better life. With a target to promote gender equality and improve the lives of women, the VSF launched the campaign "Let's orange with TH", focusing on women and girls who are victims or at risk of domestic violence and sexual abuse. The project not only raises public awareness of gender-based violence but also strives to create real change for victims of violence through an interest-free livelihood support fund. This fund helps women affected by gender-based violence improve their livelihoods. Operated as a revolving fund, it aims to extend opportunities to more current and former victims. Alongside financial assistance, beneficiaries also receive legal and psychological counseling. Receiving not only material support but also emotional healing, smiles have returned to the faces of women whose eyes now shine with hope for a better future, a powerful proof of compassion and solidarity. Their stories have touched the hearts of many people. With the message “Joining hands for the true happiness of Vietnamese women and children,” the 2024 "Let's orange with TH" campaign has reached over 200,578 people, and raised more than 628 million VND. The funds will be used to support livelihood initiatives in Quang Binh district of Ha Giang province starting in 2025.

Accordingly, over the past three years, the campaign has raised more than 1.3 billion VND, providing microloans to help 210 disadvantaged women in Lao Cai, Son La, and Dien Bien provinces improve their livelihoods. In Lao Cai alone, the first phase benefited over 3,000 people, with 15 interest-free loan packages, helping women improve household incomes. The project also continues to deliver training sessions on gender equality and domestic violence prevention in the targeted communities. The stories of positive change in participants’ lives are more than statistics, they are lasting memories of compassion and shared humanity. These heartfelt experiences continue to inspire the project’s development, paving the way toward a more equal and happy future for all.

A series of practical volunteer programmes deployed

Over the past 10 years, the VSF has carried out numerous independent charitable initiatives while actively supporting major government-led social welfare programmes for the poor and disadvantaged people. Among its many impactful activities, the foundation was a pioneer in providing over 10 billion VND in emergency relief to communities affected by Typhoon Yagi, which caused severe human and material losses across several localities, contributing to minimising damage and rebuilding the people's lives after natural disasters

The “Tet for the Poor” programme is one of the VSF’s key annual initiatives, offering support and encouragement to disadvantaged individuals and families during the Lunar New Year festival. In the past two years, the foundation, together with TH Group and BAC A BANK, has donated a total of 15.5 billion VND in cash and tens of thousands of milk cartons to support poor households, policy beneficiaries, and vulnerable groups across the country. Through these meaningful activities, the foundation not only helps disadvantaged families enjoy a warmer and more fulfilling Tet holiday, but also spreads the spirit of solidarity and fosters a culture of sharing within the community.

Recognising the importance of a safe and solid roof for each person's life, the VSF, together with TH Group and BAC A BANK, has actively supported a nationwide programme to eliminate makeshift and dilapidated homes for poor people, focusing on building charitable houses for the poor, people with meritorious service, and disadvantaged families. In 2025 alone, the sponsors pledged 10 billion VND to this programme, helping improve living conditions for hundreds of households across Vietnam. Tran Thi Nhu Trang, Chairwoman of the VSF’s Management Council, said “eliminating makeshift and dilapidated homes is a vital social responsibility and a profound reflection of our spirit of solidarity. We hope each house built will serve as a strong foundation for families to feel secure, rebuild their lives, and move toward a better future”. Beyond short-term charitable activities, the foundation places strong emphasis on sustainable development through investments in public infrastructure facilities. By the end of 2024, the foundation had contributed over 138 billion VND to the construction of essential facilities across the country, including schools, healthcare stations, rural roads, and clean water systems. To mark its 10th founding anniversary and the 30th anniversary of BAC A BANK’s establishment, the VSF launched high-quality classroom projects in Dien Bien and Nghe An provinces, helping improve learning conditions for thousands of students in remote and mountainous areas. The foundation’s charitable activities have demonstrated a strong commitment to social responsibility through its diverse humanitarian initiatives, focusing on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Step by step, the foundation is helping to build a more compassionate and inclusive society, offering better and warmer lives to disadvantaged communities. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang affirmed the foundation has a well-structured strategy, concrete programmes, and both financial and human resources. Its wide-ranging and impactful activities have reached numerous localities across the country, earning high praise from beneficiaries. It has also established diverse partnerships with socio-political organisations, development projects, and especially with government agencies and local authorities./.