The scholarship targets disadvantaged children who lost their loved ones to illness or accidents but whose relatives gave the gift of life through organ donation. These children, deprived of family support, are in need of companionship and assistance along their journey to adulthood.
At the event, 10 children from Ho Chi Minh City, Dak Lak, and Dong Thap received financial support from the “Self-Reliance for Myself” scholarship. Each child is granted annual support of 50 million VND. Every month, they receive 1.5 million VND, of which one million is provided directly to cover study and living expenses, while 500,000 is deposited into a personal savings account until they turn 18. This reserve is intended to strengthen their stability in the future.
Le Tan Vu, Deputy Head of the Nhan Dan Newspaper Representative Office in the southern region, stated: “Every organ donation is a courageous and profoundly humanitarian act. Yet after such noble giving, many children suddenly lose the greatest support of their lives, leaving them vulnerable. By partnering with the Compassionate Initiatives Foundation in this scholarship programme, we affirm the profound social meaning of honouring organ donation and sustaining the value of love within the community.”
Nhan Dan Newspaper has pledged to actively support communication efforts, spreading the programme’s meaning, and mobilising additional social resources so that the scholarship is not only a financial support for children to continue their studies but also a significant source of spiritual encouragement, helping them gain confidence in life and grow into contributing members of society.
Over nearly 17 years of operation, the Compassionate Initiatives Foundation has allocated about 500 billion VND to social welfare activities, reaching 34 localities and more than 260,000 beneficiaries. In doing so, it has built bridges of compassion and contributed to shaping a symbol of Vietnamese humanitarianism in the new era.
Dang Thi Kim Oanh, Chairwoman of the Foundation’s Management Council, emotionally expressed that the name “Self-Reliance for Myself” carries a core message – to encourage children to confidently affirm their self-worth and provide them with the means to walk their own paths into the future. The scholarship is like an embracing arm of the community, carrying forward the stream of love from those who have passed away.
The programme aims for at least 95% of participating children to maintain schooling or complete high school. For those who do not continue formal education, the scholarship will support vocational training costs if they wish.
Between 2025 and 2030, the programme is expected to support at least 50 children and expand by around 10 new cases each year, with a total funding of over 12 billion VND.
At the scholarship launch ceremony, philanthropists contributed 2.45 billion VND, a message of compassion and motivation to help children overcome difficulties and pursue their education.
Truong My Hoa, former Secretary of the Party Central Committee and former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, praised the meaningful work of the Compassionate Initiatives Foundation. She expressed her hope that the “Self-Reliance for Myself” scholarship will continue to expand with the joint support of philanthropists and benefactors to care for disadvantaged children whose relatives donated organs.
According to the health sector, each year, Viet Nam records over 1,000 organ transplants. In 2024 alone, there were 41 organ donations after brain death. From 1992 to 2024, the country successfully performed 9,516 transplants. In the first five months of 2025, more than 15,000 people registered for organ donation.
