Rushing to hotspots
During the difficult days of the fourth outbreak in Ho Chi Minh City, Miss Tourism Ngoc Diem and members of a young leaders’ club initiated a project to distribute food to people in need.
Dividing tonnes of vegetables under the heat of 40 degrees Celsius weather into 1,000 small packages for distribution in one day was a challenge for the voluntary group. Some volunteers managed to distribute 500 packages in lightning speed so that they could be home by 6pm, when the restrictions on going out began to take effect.
For Vu Thi Hoang My, a runner-up at Miss Vietnam 2010, the volunteering journey is an unforgettable memory when she not only called for financial donations to buy ventilators and medical equipment but also joined a rapid response team of artists in supporting health workers to collect samples for testing and guide the people at vaccination sites. Despite having to work for many hours and facing a high risk of contracting the virus, the beauty soon forgot tiredness and danger upon seeing doctors exhausted from taking care of patients.
Miss Vietnam 2018 Tran Tieu Vy is also one of the beauties active in spreading the spirit of optimism to the community by voluntary activities. Over the past several months, Vy and members of the Suoi Mat Tu Tam Club have prepared nearly 75,000 meals for medical workers, the public security force and disadvantaged people. Vy said “During the three months of volunteer work, I had many health problems and faced the risk of exposure to COVID-19, but when witnessing the smiles and thank-yous from people in isolated areas, I was further motivated to continue the work.”
Unlike Ngoc Diem, Hoang My and Tran Tieu Vy, singers Toc Tien and other singers such as Cam Van, Quoc Dai, Le Minh, Duc Phuc and Erik volunteered to perform at a field hospital. At the first time singing before hundreds of COVID-19 patients, Toc Tien said “I could not forget the hands waving through the window slits as a gesture of thanks. The spirit of optimism is the most solid support for doctors, nurses and patients to overcome such a difficult period.”
In the north, singers Tung Duong and Tuan Hung staged online performances and raised nearly 2 billion for COVID-19 prevention efforts in the provinces of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh. Tung Duong said such performances came from their hearts of sympathy with people at coronavirus epicentres.
Giving hearts and receiving love
Not only giving, artists have also received a great deal from taking part in the fight against COVID-19. Ngoc Diem said the love from her peers and the people is the most valuable gift she has received. Each day of doing volunteer work was a joy from the positive energy brought in by her teammates. There were times when she was extremely hungry after travelling to so many places to distribute goods, she was in turn given food and water by another voluntary group. She said “I can feel very clear that during the epidemic, people all become united for the community.”
For Hoang My, her life became more meaningful when she joined charitable activities. She felt extremely happy when what she gave away was very small but what she got back was so big, that is love from everyone. She plans to continue volunteering to take care of children orphaned due to COVID-19.
For Tung Duong, he could feel compatriotism and the spirit of sacrificing oneself for the community more clearly, helping artists to avoid scandals and do the right things.
In the past time, some celebrities such as Quyen Linh, Tung Duong, Ngoc Diem, Hoang My, Tieu Vy and Toc Tien are names representing the hearts of artists. There remain many other celebrities who have made significant contributions, either direct or indirect, either silent or public, to the fight against COVID-19.
Giving away hearts and receiving back love is an indisputable law. It helps us have a strong belief in good things which always exist in life, whether in a favourable or difficult situation, everyone who sacrifices themselves should be honoured and encouraged. It is also a fine cultural tradition passed down through generations of Vietnamese people.
