The Ministry of Defense has coordinated with local authorities throughout the country to carry gifts to servicemen on the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago from the end of last December until January 12.

The Tet gifts were offered to soldiers on islands including Da Lat, Da Tay, Da Dong, Thuyen Chai, Truong Sa Lon, Truong Sa Dong and An Bang.

Food items and many cultural products will help service members living on the islands; enjoy the Tet holiday while fulfilling their military tasks of protecting the country’s sovereignty.

In related news, an annual charity event entitled ‘Doing good things on Tet holidays - For the poor farmers in Ho Chi Minh City’ will be held on January 20.

The 4th program will mobilized local authorities from 24 districts, as well as other enterprises, help poor farmers in the city enjoy a warm and joyful Tet festival. The event includes an auction of nine Japanese dragon-scale carps and a pair of valuable yellow apricot trees.

The Ho Chi Minh City Farmers’ Association and Ho Chi Minh City Television will organize the event. The organizers will build more than 150 houses and repair other households for poor farmers that live around HCM City.

More than VND3.9 billion (nearly US$200,000) was donated to the program in last year.

By staff writers – Translated by Kim Khanh