1.7 million glasses of milk offered to disadvantaged children amid COVID-19

ABO/NDO – A free milk programme has been launched by the Vietnam Dairy Products JSC (Vinamilk) and its Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund, offering 1.7 million glasses of milk to disadvantaged children nationwide amidst the prevalence of COVID-19.

Children from SOS Children's Village in Vinh city, Nghe An province receive free milk from Vinamilk.

The special initiative was officially launched on April 11, as Vinamilk trucks carrying the message "For the health and safety of children - Joining hands to repel COVID-19" set off from Vinamilk's member units in various localities across the country, hoping to bring 1.7 million glasses of milk, equivalent to a value of VND12.5 billion, to nearly 19,000 disadvantaged children across the nation to help them improve their health and enhance their natural resistance to fight the disease.

Bui Thi Huong, Executive Director of Human Resources, Administration & Public Relation of Vinamilk, said that at present, the COVID-19 epidemic is complicated and affecting various sectors, including children in difficult circumstances. Therefore, although the programme has been implemented in compliance with the condition of strict social restrictions, Vinamilk and the Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund remain determined to promptly supply the nutritious milk to children who are in need of support, Huong affirmed.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Vinamilk has continuously implemented social activities to offer its nutritional products to frontline health officials and patients to fight the epidemic. The company's staff also voluntarily donated their salary and joined a walking programme to raise over VND2 billion to buy masks, hand sanitisers and other necessities for disadvantaged children.

With the latest action of donating 1.7 million glasses of milk to children through the Stand Tall Vietnam Milk Fund, Vinamilk has up to now spent more than VND27.5 billion supporting the community in the prevention of and fight against COVID-19.

The milk fund was established in 2008 with the sponsorship of the National Fund for Vietnamese Children and support from Vinamilk, with the mission of ensuring the right of Vietnamese children to drink milk every day so that they can comprehensively develop both physically and intellectually.

Over the last 13 years, the fund has delivered more than 36 million glasses of milk to nearly 460,000 disadvantaged children across Vietnam. In 2019 alone, Vinamilk donated over 1.6 million glasses of milk, equivalent to VND10.5 billion, to nearly 18,000 children in 25 cities and provinces across the country.

(Source: NDO)