Tinh Van Group brings smiles to flood-affected children
2013-10-08 06:23:23
On the morning of October 6, 2013, Tinh Van Group (Tinhvan Group) partnered with the Nụ Cười (Smile) group to organize a gift-giving program for children in Quỳnh Trang commune, Hoàng Mai town, Nghệ An province. This area was one of the hardest hit after the Vực Mẫu reservoir released floodwaters, leaving the entire commune devastated and submerged.
Tinhvaners join hands to support Central Vietnam
Typhoon Wutip had just passed, but floods followed, causing severe damage to the already impoverished Central region due to harsh conditions. The typhoon ravaged provinces such as Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Trị, and Thừa Thiên Huế, causing heavy losses in both lives and property. Estimated damages from Typhoon Wutip reached 11,000 billion VND. Among these, Quảng Bình suffered the most with 8,000 billion VND in damages. Although Nghệ An was not in the area where Typhoon Wutip hit hardest, dam failures and flood releases caused nearly 1,300 billion VND in damages, 12 deaths, 2 missing, and 225 injuries. The super typhoon also damaged or unroofed 193,720 houses, flooded 30,118 houses, and collapsed, destroyed, or swept away 528 houses, along with thousands of hectares of rice and crops.
In response, upholding the tradition of mutual support and compassion, Tinh Van Group's leadership launched the program "Tinhvaners join hands to support Central Vietnam" to share with the beloved Central region as it struggles to overcome the aftermath of storms and floods.
Bringing smiles to flood-affected children
After just one day of fundraising, all Tinhvaners donated 67,850,000 VND. The company's leadership allocated 45 million VND from this amount and, together with the Nụ Cười volunteer group, organized the program "Smiles for Quỳnh Trang Children" to deliver gifts directly to children in the areas worst hit by the flood discharge from Vực Mấu reservoir in Hoàng Mai town, Nghệ An. The funds donated by Tinh Van Group were used to purchase 4.1 tons of rice for 820 teachers and children in Quỳnh Trang commune.
Ms. Xinh (Village 5, Quỳnh Trang commune) sadly recounted the sudden flood: "In the middle of the night, while my family was sleeping, I heard water rushing loudly, then it poured into the yard and house. Within 10 minutes, the whole commune was submerged. My family had a few quintals of freshly harvested rice, two pigs, a flock of chickens, a TV, and a motorbike—all swept away by the flood. We still don't know where to find them."
Little Giang (a first-grade student at Quỳnh Trang Primary School, Quỳnh Trang commune, Hoàng Mai) sobbed: "My house was flooded, all the rice, books, and nice clothes were washed away. My parents said everything is gone, swept away. Now our family has nothing to eat."
The flood has passed, but the damage it left behind is immense for the poor residents here. The small tokens of affection from Tinhvaners, wrapped in modest gifts—even just a few kilograms of rice—have become a sacred and indescribable sentiment for the people of Hoàng Mai, Nghệ An.
Following the charity gift distribution in Quỳnh Trang commune, Hoàng Mai, Nghệ An, Tinh Van Group will continue to support affected families in Ba Đồn commune, Quảng Trạch district, Quảng Bình province. This area was the epicenter of Typhoon Wutip's devastation in recent days. Thousands of houses collapsed or lost their roofs. Schools, health stations, and offices were severely damaged and had to close. The power grid has not yet been restored. Many households are living in makeshift shelters, with their homes destroyed and not yet rebuilt.
Restoring normal life for flood-affected residents requires not only time but also more acts of sharing. Tinh Van Group is proud to have contributed a small part to help the people here gradually stabilize their lives.
Mai Thủy