Deputy PM receives SOS Children's Villages Int'l delegation

ABO/NDO – Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam hosted a reception on February 12 for a delegation from SOS Children’s Villages International and a group of donors, led by Governor of Austria’s Tyrol state Gunther Platter and Honorary President of the organisation Helmut Kutin.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam receives a delegation from SOS Children’s Villages International and a group of donors (Source: VNA)

Deputy PM Dam appreciated the contributions made by Gunther Platter and Helmut Kutin to calling for individuals, organisations, and businesses to support children from many countries around the world, including Vietnam.

Vietnam has long treasured its cooperation with SOS Children’s Villages International and backs the alternative family model of the organisation.

 

The country’s localities have also paid attention to the non-governmental organisation’s related projects, he added.

 

Since the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and SOS Children’s Villages International signed a cooperation agreement on the development of SOS villages in Vietnam 32 years ago, there have been nearly 70 SOS village projects and programmes implemented in Vietnam.

 

The country is currently home to 1.4 million children living in extremely disadvantaged circumstances, with 157,000 classified as orphans and abandoned or homeless children, Dam shared.

 

The Deputy PM expressed his hope that through this visit, the SOS Children’s Villages International will continue to carry out more activities to help Vietnamese children in the years to come.

 

The guests spoke highly of the effective activities of SOS villages in Vietnam with the close coordination of the MoLISA and localities.

 

Vietnam is now one of the organisation’s top five countries in terms of the numbers of projects and children receiving benefits out of the 135 countries and territories that have SOS villages, they said.

 

During their stay in Vietnam, along with working with related ministries and sectors, the delegation will make a fact-finding tour to several SOS villages, they stated, affirming to call for more support from international organisations and individuals.

 

(Source: NDO)