South Africa consulate donates houses to celebrate Freedom Day
The South African consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has donated 20 houses to 20 poor families in Ben Tre Province as part of its program to mark the 22nd anniversary of South Africa’s Freedom Day (April 27).
Do Thi Kim Lien, South Africa’s honorary consul in the city, said at a ceremony on April 22 that she hopes other people can join hands to help improve living conditions for more people in Ben Tre, one of the Mekong Delta provinces that are facing water shortages and saltwater intrusion.
Nearly half of the 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) of arable land in the Mekong Delta had been attacked by salt water and hundreds of thousands of locals are suffering from water scarcity, official figures show.
On this occasion, the Honorary Consulate of South Africa also donated VND500 million (US$22,450) to the Fund for Poor People of the southern province of Tay Ninh.
 |
| Officials, including Vice Chairman of HCMC People's Committee Le Thanh Liem (C), celebrate the South Africa's Freedom Day on April 22, 2016. |
Also at the ceremony, Ho Chi Minh City-based VASS Assurance Corporation awarded 30 scholarships worth VND1 million each to Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, a school that serves visually impaired students in the city.
Attending the ceremony, South Africa Ambassador to Vietnam Kgomotso Ruth Magau focused on the consulate’s contributions not only to diplomatic ties between the two countries, but also to the community through charity activities.
In particular, the People's Committee of Hau Giang Province awarded a certificate to the honorary consult Do Thi Kim Lien for her great contributions to the province’s economic and social development in recent years.
