Charity event raises billions for COVID-19 orphans in VN

The ‘Nghia tinh Phuong Nam - Cung con di tiep cuoc doi’ charity arts program was held on September 16, 2026, at Ly Thai To Park in Ho Chi Minh City. Co-organized by VTV Nam Bo and Thanh Nien Newspaper, the event marked the five-year anniversary of the initiative established in 2021 to support children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program included a candlelight memorial for those lost during the pandemic and featured stories of resilience, such as 14-year-old Nguyen Le Ngoc Anh. During the event, IPPG Chairman Jonathan Hạnh Nguyễn donated 10 billion VND from his pension and family support to assist children in difficult circumstances. Vietcombank also contributed 500 million VND. Total donations from various individuals and organizations through the program reached approximately 18.1 to 18.6 billion VND. These funds will be directed to the VTV Tam Long Viet Fund to support the education and long-term growth of the affected children. Since its inception in 2021, the ‘Cung con di tiep cuoc doi’ initiative has provided emergency assistance and long-term sponsorship for over 2,200 orphans in Ho Chi Minh City and southern provinces, with total funding exceeding 60.8 billion VND.

Following the anniversary, reports highlighted the program’s evolution from emergency relief into a long-term commitment to help orphans access education and develop personal confidence. A key corporate partner, Tan Hiep Phat, has utilized a long-term sponsorship model to support 50 children until they reach age 18. This partnership is driven by shared personal experiences between the founders of Tan Hiep Phat and the Editor-in-Chief of Thanh Nien Newspaper, both of whom lost parents during their childhood.