Mr. Tran Cong Phu, Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the important and practical contributions of the overseas Vietnamese (OVs) community to the cause of construction and development of the province are reflected in many sectors, especially in the fields of education, training, health, community support and some other fields.
Ms. Do Anh Thu (second from left), Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, Director of the US Vietnam Health, Education and Literature Projects (VNHELP) - one of the OV individuals with many charity and humanitarian activities in the province, were honored to receive the Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Badge of “Good people, good deeds”.
Important contributions
Statistics from the Provincial Association for Liaison with OVs show that, through the “Meeting Vietnam - Odon Vallet” program, Professors Tran Thanh Van and Le Kim Ngoc have awarded scholarships to 1,157 talented students from high schools and universities in the province with a value of more than VND 13.6 billion since 2017.
Professor Ngo Bao Chau had a teaching program for 20 students funded by the Odon Vallet Foundation at Hue University of Education. Dr. Tran Tien Sum of the Tran Tien Foundation has made great contributions to the province's medicine sector by teaching, training, and exchanging medical care with students, conducting surgeries, and donating medical equipment to Hue Central Hospital. Dr. Ton That Hua and many professors and doctors in Germany returned to Hue to perform charity surgery for children with cleft lip and cleft palate.
Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the OVs community supported the province with an amount of VND 300 million and 4,800 P&G water filter bags to overcome the consequences of typhoons. Mr. Nguyen Quang Phuc, Chairman of Phuc's Fond Charity (Norway) implemented many social welfare programs for disadvantaged communities. Ms. Doan Thu Le (USA) has projects on capacity building on reducing drowning accidents and protecting the environment for children...
In addition, there are also active contributions of many other typical overseas Vietnamese organizations and individuals such as FHF, Pacific Links Foundation (PALS, USA)...
Dr. Tran Thi Mai, President of the Union of Friendship Organizations of Thua Thien Hue Province (hereinafter referred to as HueFO) said that as one of the provincial agencies performing the function of mobilizing, attracting resources and supports from the OV communities, over the past time, HueFO, the Association for Liaison with OVs and its member friendship associations have closely followed the guidelines, policies and instructions of the Party and State on the Ovs affairs to perform this work well.
Through receptions, meetings and contacts with OVs visiting the province, HueFO, the Association for Liaison with OVs and its member friendship associations have regularly introduced the image of a stable, peaceful and secure Vietnam, provided information on current affairs, guidelines, policies and laws of the Party and State to OVs on issues of concern to them, and helped OVs to better understand the general situation of the country as well as that of Thua Thien Hue province.
In addition, HueFO has also introduced about the provincial potentials of culture, tourism, health, education, investment, exchange, solidarity and friendship activities as well as the aid needs for economic, cultural and social development of communities in the province and related policies and regulations.
Over the past five years (2017 - 2022), HueFO has actively called, mobilized and supported OVs individuals and organizations to implement local community programs. Accordingly, the total mobilization and disbursement budget for the period 2017-2022 is estimated at VND 7.1 billion (US $300,000). Development assistance programs have been implemented in a variety of fields of education, healthcare, business development, and social welfare.
In the coming time, HueFO will continue to increase its network and mobilize overseas Vietnamese individuals and organizations with expertise and potential development in culture, education, science and technology to connect and accompany the whole provincial political system for an effective implementation of the Resolution 54-NQ/TW dated December 10, 2019 of the Politburo on the construction and development of Thua Thien Hue province to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
Inseparable parts
HueFO as well as some overseas Vietnamese suggested for a more effective mobilization of OVs’ resources in the future (in the period 2022 -2026), the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee need to improve the information and data system on OVs to promptly share it with relevant organizations and individuals to serve the work of counselling, forecasting, connecting and developing the network of overseas Vietnamese.
At the same time, provincial leaders pay more attention to direct relevant agencies and local authorities to create favorable conditions and issue appropriate mechanisms and policies to attract OVs to increase their investment and operation in the province; find out difficulties and obstacles faced by OVs in the implementation of programs and projects in the province to promptly solve them, contributing to increasing the efficiency of the use of potentials and resources of people living abroad, and integrating into the socio-economic development process of the province.
Recently, speaking and concluding at the conference to deploy the provincial OVs affairs in the period 2022 - 2026, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh affirmed that provincial leaders always appreciate the OVs affairs, accompany and support overseas Vietnamese to return to the country, invest, live and work in the province.
Vice Chairman Nguyen Thanh Binh suggested that the Department of Foreign Affairs - the provincial agency in charge of foreign affairs, should continue to coordinate with agencies, departments and branches to focus on reviewing overall and comprehensive programs, work plan on the OVs in the past time.
From there, the department should evaluate and clarify the advantages as well as inadequacies, shortcomings, limitations and lessons learned; carefully analyze objective and subjective causes; propose and recommend solutions to further improve the efficiency of the OVs affairs in the coming time.
“Thua Thien Hue province is focusing on implementing the content of the Resolution 54 of the Politburo. I do hope that overseas Vietnamese will promote solidarity, strengthen coordination and have many activities with localities to join hands to build the province to soon become a centrally-governed municipality,” said Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh.
Story and photo: Anh Phong