Hundreds of children in Hai Duong city celebrated International Children’s Day at the city’s 12 quarantine camps. Nguyen Thu Trang, a resident in Hai Duong, said that, because her family lives in a locked-down area, she had to ask the guards to buy some food and small gifts for her daughter. “I feel bad for the kids because they can’t go to the playground or participate in outdoor activities," Trang said, "I hope COVID-19 will die down soon so that our children can enjoy the summer.”

Nguyen Ngoc Linh, who lives in Hai Duong, has two children. Although they are not in a locked-down area, Linh decided to follow the COVID-19 prevention measures and keep her children indoors. Because her husband is working far from home, she cooked a fancy dinner and then made a video call to him so the kids could talk to their father.

Hai Duong authorities have visited and given gifts to the children of workers and officials who are in quarantine. Nguyen Le Chi, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Youth Union in Hai Duong, said young volunteers have been taking good care of those children, giving them free meals, books, and newspapers. “We also made the kids small gifts and cards wishing them good health and good luck,” she said.

Representatives of Hai Duong authorities give gifts to children in quarantine camps.

Can Tho city has come up with novel ways to support children. One is the “Trade trash for gifts” program, which was launched in the middle of May in Ninh Kieu district. Each group of students has a time window to bring in recyclable trash, which they can trade for school supplies. The students are excited to get free items they can use during the coming school year. Vu Trong Toan is a fourth-grader at Cai Khe 1 primary school. He said: “I’m happy because now my parents won’t have to spend money on school supplies  for me. I’ll make good use of these items to study harder next year.”

Students in Can Tho city are excited to trade recyclable trash for school supplies. (Photo: VOV)

Can Tho city has also resumed a program called “The ride of dreams” that has been popular with children in remote areas for the past year.  Phuong Tan Dat, Vice Director of the Can Tho Student Support Center, said that to follow COVID-19 prevention measures, the organizers have had to change the program’s method of delivering gifts to the children. He explained: "Instead of gathering the children together, we are delivering gifts to them via the network of district student unions. We are also teaching them how to protect themselves against the coronavirus.”