Vietnam chairs Asian-Pacific charity fair in Japan
Vietnam was the chair of the 41st Asia-Pacific Ladies Friendship Society (ALFS) Charity Bazaar, held in Tokyo, Japan, on April 19, which attracted the participation of 19 regional countries.
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Two Vietnamese stalls at the fair collected an estimated over JPY2 million (US$18,368) for the ALFS, the second highest among participating countries, only behind Japan.
With nearly 5,000 visitors, the annual event raised between 22 and 23 million JPY from ticket sales (US$201,916 - 211,094), the highest amount recorded in recent years.
ALFS President Haruko Komura said the total proceeds will be evenly distributed among participating countries, about JPY1 million (US$9,178) each, to finance humanitarian activities in their countries.
She lauded efforts made by Vietnam as chair of this year’s bazaar, which have significantly contributed to the success of the bazaar.
Vietnam will use half of the funds received from the event to pay for a clean water system for a high school in the central province of Ha Tinh in collaboration with the Japan International Friendship Association. The remaining is earmarked for supporting dioxin-affected children in the central region.
The ALFS was set up 49 years ago as an initiative of the spouse of the then Japanese Foreign Minister. It now has nearly 400 members, mostly spouses of Japanese politicians, CEOs of major Japanese businesses, female ambassadors and spouses of ambassadors as well as female embassy staff of the 25 Asia-Pacific countries in Tokyo.
It operates under the sponsorship of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and aims to foster regional cooperation and social welfare contribution.
