Spreading Love and Joy: A “Late” Mid-Autumn Festival to Remember in Son La

From September 27th to 29th, 2024, a vibrant atmosphere of the “Late” Mid-Autumn Festival filled up the villages Bua Bon, Tra, and Xum Hom in Mai Son district, Son La province. A heartwarming support between Vietnam Original Travel, the Loving Rice Club, the Love Sharing Group, the Living to Love Club, Tam Sen, Hop Le Temple, the Kind-hearted Pickup Truck Club, and generous sponsors brought joy and cheer to nearly 1000 local people.

A Land of Beauty and Challenges

Son La, a northwestern mountainous province in Vietnam, encompasses Mai Son district, located 30 kilometers north of the city center. The rugged terrain of Mai Son makes the three villages of Bua Bon, Tra, and Xum Hom difficult to access, with landslides posing a constant threat. Motorcycles and walking remain the primary modes of transportation for local people, mainly Mong ethnic groups.

The children here face many difficulties going to school due to their remote location. Recognizing these hardships, the Organizing Committee chose these three villages to provide support and motivation for the children to overcome their difficulties and build brighter futures.

Sharing Joy and Love

One of the highlights of the program was the distribution of gifts to over 400 local children and 117 families in need. Each gift bag was thoughtfully curated to bring joy and comfort, containing essential items like rice, instant noodles, cooking oil, clothing, and school supplies. Children from preschool, primary school, and secondary school now have new school bags and warm clothes for the coming winter. 

75 students in Bua Bon Village, 216 students in Tra Village, and 135 students in Xum Hom Village were each given gifts including backpacks, colored pens, pencils, 3 coloring books for preschool students, 5 squared notebooks, and 1 AA pen with 5 refills for primary school students. In addition, each child was given a warm coat, a Vietnam flag shirt, a pair of sandals, and a gift bag (1 block of milk, 1 moon cake, scorched rice topped with pork floss, Milo cakes, jelly, chips, and lollipops).

They enjoy instant noodles and sausages, dishes that seem very banal to people in the lowlands are precious to people in the highlands.

The children's faces lit up with excitement as they received their gifts, expressing their gratitude and appreciation. The bright smiles of children when receiving gifts, or the happiness of people when receiving help, all created a warm, meaningful atmosphere.

117 disadvantaged households were presented with essential necessities including 1 pot, 10kg of rice, 1 box of noodles, 1 box of water, 1 bag of clothes, 1 bag of common medicine (3 types of essential oils, medicine for headaches, stomachaches, fever reducers, digestive enzymes, pain relievers...) for each. Along with that were cooking spices such as cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, sugar, canned meat.

Join us in spreading hope and compassion!

Typhoon Yagi has caused significant damage in Son La province and across the northern mountainous regions of Vietnam, affecting people, homes, livestock, poultry, rice, crops, transportation, schools, and medical facilities. The program not only brought material gifts but also shared and encouraged the spirit of the people in the highlands. We believe that these activities have made a memorable "late" Mid-Autumn Festival for all people involved. 

Vietnam Original Travel is honored to accompany generous donors, clubs, and charitable organizations with a heart for a more prosperous and fulfilling future for the northern mountainous provinces in the Nord of Vietnam. The success of this Mid-Autumn Festival event inspires us to continue our efforts to support vulnerable communities and promote social welfare. We encourage individuals and organizations to join us in our mission to spread love, compassion, and hope.

Every contribution, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. Let's work together to build a more resilient and sustainable future.

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