A charity walk was organized in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday to mark Vietnam’s Day for People with Disabilities (April 18), with the participation of thousands of local residents and hundreds of handicapped children and orphans.

More than VND10 billion (US$470,000) was raised at the event, which was conducted in Phu My Hung Urban Area in District 7.

The amount was donated by individuals and organizations to the Fund for Disabled Children.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also joined the event, which was aimed to help people with disabilities improve their living conditions and better integrate into the community.

Addressing the walk, PM Dung said that the Party and State, based on the nation’s tradition of “love your neighbor as yourself,” have used many resources and applied many policies to protect the rights of disabled people and encourage them to further engage in social activities.

Thanks to such policies, many people with disabilities have gained significant achievements in education, business, science, and sports. 

They are also provided with health insurance and free legal assistance, PM Dung said.

The government leader lauded the support given by donors at home and abroad for the disabled and orphaned children over the past years, and encouraged them to continue helping in the future.

He also directed relevant ministries to perfect supporting policies for the disabled, especially in the fields of vocational training, employment, education, and health care.

According to statistics, Vietnam is home to 6.7 million disabled people, of whom 3.6 million are women and 1.2 million are children.

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