HÀ NỘI — Photos and paintings portraying the Vietnamese people and landscapes are being auctioned online to raise funds for Vietnamese children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The auctions are jointly organised by the Association of Vietnamese Students and Professionals in the United States and Unite for Vietnam. It is part of the Vòng Tay Nưoc Mỹ (American Hug) programme initiated by the association.

“American Hug is an annual event organised by the Vietnamese Student Association in the United States. In the context of the new normal, we appreciate the activities of joining hands towards the homeland of Viet Nam to help those in difficult circumstances," Nguyen Trần, a representative of the organisers of American Hug, told Viet Nam News.

"With the theme ‘Spreading Faith’, a charity auction will be held within the programme for the first time at the Gala night in Dallas, Texas this year. The entire fundraised amount will be sent to the Unite for Vietnam to help orphans in Viet Nam.”

The bidders will be able to view information about the 22 artworks that will go under the hammer, the artists and their starting bids through the online exhibition on the website of Unite for Vietnam.

An online auction of 19 artworks will run until December 18, 2021. The three most outstanding paintings will then be auctioned off at an in-person event at the Gala night in Dallas, Texas on December 18.

The auctions are expected to raise around US$5,000.

“The organisation board will work with the Unite for Vietnam to map out the most appropriate donation plan and to spread it to the widest subjects,” Nguyen said.

The Vietnamese Student Association in the United States is a non-profit organisation that has been recognised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the United States since 2014.

Established in August 2020, Unite for Vietnam aims to connect Vietnamese individuals and organisations in the US and many countries around the world to develop fundraising initiatives and professional support to help Viet Nam solve urgent problems such as natural disasters, pandemics, study promotion and poverty alleviation.

The Association of Vietnamese Students and Professionals in the United States and Unite for Vietnam have a close relationship as both are operated in the US. That long-term relationship has helped the two sides understand clearly the vision, organisational style, and mutual ambitions to help the Vietnamese community at home and abroad.

The association has participated in many charity fundraising campaigns launched by Unite for Vietnam since 2020, most notably a campaign for 10,000 doses of vaccines for Viet Nam. The one-month campaign attracted hundreds of Vietnamese children and families in the US to send their paintings for auction.

According to a report of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, more than 2,184 Vietnamese children were orphaned due to the impact of the COVID -19 pandemic by October 14. VNS