Volunteers have visited hospitals and care centers in major cities starting Saturday to shower disadvantaged kids there with gifts and joys for the coming Mid-Autumn Festival.

This year’s trung thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) falls on Wednesday (October 4).

A large number of volunteers, including local celebrities and beauty queens, are holding numerous activities to engage the deprived children during the festive season.

On Saturday afternoon in the yard of Saint Paul Hospital in Hanoi, volunteers were taking part in a competition in crafting traditional lanterns, handmade toys and creating paintings, which would be gifted to the child patients there.

Joining the youngsters were Miss Sea Vietnam 2016 Pham Thuy Trang and other beauties.

The event was part of the ‘Tet trung thu, tet se chia’ (Mid-Autumn Festival, a time of sharing) program, jointly launched by the Vietnam Volunteer Center and Lien Ket Tre (Youth Liaison) Club under the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is the time during which adults particularly dote on their children. However, not every kid is blessed with the luxury,” Do Duc Duan, head of the organizing board, said.

“Through the program, we wish to convey a message of love and sharing and pamper the minors with small gifts and laughter,” he added.

Meanwhile, a group of teachers and students from the Da Nang subsidiary of online education provider Topica also organized a program to usher in the moon fest for more than 50 children receiving treatment at the Da Nang Obstetrics-Pediatrics Hospital on Saturday.

Apart from fun riddles and exciting games, the youngsters could freely demonstrate their musical abilities and relished ‘mua lan’ (dragon and kylin dance) gigs.

The expectant kids were treated to sweeties at the event and also each brought home a gift and some cash donated by the teachers and students.

Likewise, the ‘Vui Hoi Trang Ram’ (Full Moon Joy) Festival, which took place on Saturday at the Ho Chi Minh City Women's Culture House in District 3, drew more than 350 children who joined folk and creative games.

Two-hundred of them were presented with notebooks and stationery.

The same day, the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union also organized a ‘Vang Trang Yeu Thuong’ (Moon of Love) show, joined by over 300 deprived kids at care centers including Tam Binh Child Protection Center and Thu Duc Teenager Village in Thu Duc District.

The show will be taken to a few other nursing homes on the full-moon day, October 4.

Two volunteers show a child patient how to fold origami herons that convey messages of love. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Students craft star-shaped lanterns which they will gift to the needy children. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Students are promptly crafting hundred of star-shaped lanterns which they will gift to the needy children. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A painting competition themed ‘Sac Mau Hi Vong’ (Colors of Hope) also draws many child patients. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The paintings created by the child patients themselves with the help of the volunteers and celebrities convey messages of love and hope. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Child patients at the Da Nang Obstetrics-Pediatrics Hospital are treated to fascinating mua lan (lion and kylin dance) performances. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A child touches a kylin head. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A baby puts on the headdress of Ong Dia (Lord of Earth). Photo: Tuoi Tre

A child patient sings to the applause of the audience. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Kids receive sweeties from the hosts of the program. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Kids have fun at the ‘Vui Hoi Trang Ram’ (Full Moon Joy) Festival. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Kids have fun at the ‘Vui Hoi Trang Ram’ (Full Moon Joy) Festival. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Kids have fun at the ‘Vui Hoi Trang Ram’ (Full Moon Joy) Festival. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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