A Tuoi Tre-backed fundraising music show was held in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday, raising a total of VND14 billion (US$625,000) to help people living in Vietnam’s drought-hit regions.

The donations are equal to one million cubic meters of fresh water for people in central provinces and southern Mekong Delta, which are affected by the worst drought and salinization in nearly a century.

The show, named “Ket Noi Yeu Thuong,” or “Connecting Love,” took place at the Sen Hong Stage in the city’s downtown area, with hundreds of audiences flocking to see performances by many famous artists.

A mother and her daughter make donation

“Ket Noi Yeu Thuong” was organized by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Performing Arts and Cinema Center and the Ho Chi Minh City Television Station.

Tuoi Tre has decided to launch the fundraising music show to share the hardship of people in the drought-hit areas, especially those in the Mekong Delta.

“Nine out of 13 provinces in Mekong Delta have declared drought disaster areas, and nearly 200,000 hectares of paddy field in the winter-spring crop have been destroyed,” Tang Huu Phong, editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre, said in his opening speech at the event.

Phong therefore asserted that donations of people across the country to Tuoi Tre’s program are “huge support and encouragement for people in the drought and salinization affected areas during these difficult times.”

Tuoi Tre is still accepting donations the its headquarters at 60A Hoang Van Thu Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City.

Donors can also join another program launched by the newspaper in cooperation with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, the National Humanitarian Portal 1400, the Vietnam Digital Television VTC and the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications.

During the program taking place from 0:00 on April 7 to midnight on June 5, every text message with the content ‘NC’ sent to ‘1407’ will equal a donation of VND14,000 ($0.63), equivalent to one cubic meter of water for people in the drought-hit areas.

The Friday’s event was the third show of the charity series with the two previous shows held in 2013 to support flood-hit areas in central Vietnam and victims of the super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Below are photos of last night's show.

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