Last updated November 2020 | Words by Vietnam Coracle

INTRODUCTION | HOW TO DONATE | COMMENTS

Like the rest of the world, Vietnam is engaged in a struggle to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19. So far, Vietnam has done a spectacular job: at the time of latest update (20 November, 2020), there were 1,304 reported cases nationwide, and 35 deaths. This is an extraordinary effort for a country that shares a border with China (where the outbreak was first detected), and especially considering the first reported cases in Vietnam were in late January, 2020. However, in order for this fantastic work to continue, Vietnam requires your support. One of the many ways you can help Vietnam fight the virus is to donate to the relief efforts. If, like me, you’re an expatriate living (and loving) Vietnam, or if this country has special significance for you (perhaps through travel, family, friends, food), or if you’re a Vietnamese citizen who wants to contribute to their nation’s fight against the virus, please consider making a donation to the COVID-19 relief efforts in Vietnam. On this page, I’ve listed several ways that you can donate: see below for details. 

Help Vietnam fight the virus: make a donation

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VIETNAM VS THE VIRUS: HOW TO DONATE

The financial costs of an effective fight against the COVID-19 virus are huge. Above all, Vietnam needs to maintain its medical and quarantine facilities. There are tens of thousands of people involved in this effort, many of whom do so at great personal and financial cost. Your donations, no matter how big or small, will make a difference: even a dollar enables the purchase of dozens of face masks. Below, I’ve compiled a list of ways to donate, including any relevant links. Please note that I do not claim to be an authority on either COVID-19 or the efforts to contain it, nor do I have any affiliation with the government or any of the institutions through which you can make a donation. But I, like everyone I know, have felt the affects of the outbreak and I, like everyone I know, have been impressed by the way Vietnam has dealt with it so far. If you have any more information about how to donate to Vietnam’s COVID-19 relief effort, please write in the comments section at the bottom of this page. Thank you.

WAYS TO DONATE:

• By Text Message (from your phone)

• By Direct Bank Transfer

• By Cash, Mail or In Person

• Other Ways to Donate

• Comments
  

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Vietnam’s response to COVID-19 has been impressive: donations will help to continue the good work

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Donate by Text Message:

By far the easiest, fastest, most direct way to donate to Vietnam’s COVID-19 relief effort is by text message. This method only works within Vietnam, and only for people with a Vietnamese SIM card. It is set up by the government and takes your pledged donation directly from your phone’s account (remember that you must have enough money on your phone in order to make the donation). The minimum donation is 20,000vnd (just under $1); the maximum donation is 2,000,000vnd ($85). The process is simple and quick, and is my preferred way to donate. Follow the directions below:

→ on your phone, go to messaging

→ compose new message

→ enter recipient number: 1407

→ enter message text: CV 1 (NOTE: the number ‘1’ is equal to 20,000vnd; thus, if you want to donate 40,000vnd, enter message CV 2; if 100,000vnd, enter message CV 5; if 1,000,000vnd, enter message CV 50; if 2,000,000vnd, enter message CV 100)

→ press send message

→ you will receive a reply in Vietnamese confirming the amount of your donation and thanking you for your support in the fight against COVID-19, as well as numbers and websites for further information and assistance.

*If you’d like more information, see this link to the Vietnam Fatherland Front website, explaining the donation process (in Vietnamese only, but you can run it through Google Translate if you need to).

This image of exhausted medical workers sleeping in the open on reed mats went viral on social media

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Donate by Direct Bank Transfer:

Another way to donate is by Direct Bank Transfer. This should be a relatively easy process for anyone with a local Vietnamese bank account. However, I’m still trying to find out how to make a donation via bank transfer from abroad – presumably you’d need the IBAN number or BIC code for the bank. (Please comment below if you have any more information about donating from overseas.) For now, if you have a Vietnamese bank account, these are the details you need in order to make a donation via Direct Bank Transfer to Vietnam’s COVID-19 relief effort:

Account Name: Ủy ban Trung ương Mặt trận Tổ quốc Việt Nam (Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front)

Account Number: 1483201009159

Bank Name: Ngân hàng Nông nghiệp và Phát triển Nông thôn Việt Nam, chi nhánh Thủ độ (Agribank)

*If you’d like more information, see this link to the Vietnam Fatherland Front website, explaining the donation process (in Vietnamese only, but you can run it through Google Translate if you need to).

Even small donations can enable the purchase of medical supplies, such as face masks & eye protection

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Donate by Cash, Mail or In Person:

The third way to donate is by cash (or necessary physical supplies) through mail or in person. To do this, contact the government office below:

Division & Office: Phòng Kế hoạch – Tài chính (109, 111), Văn phòng Cơ quan Ủy ban Trung ương MTTQ Việt Nam (Division of Planning – Finance [109, 111]; Office of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front)

Address: 46 Trang Thi Street, Hanoi

Phone: 0243 8256 326 | 0243 8256 536

Contact: Ms. Đinh Thị Thúy Ngân, Trưởng phòng Kế hoạch – Tài chính (Head of Planning-Finance Department): 0904 321 618

*If you’d like more information, see this link to the Vietnam Fatherland Front website, explaining the donation process (in Vietnamese only, but you can run it through Google Translate if you need to).

‘To stay home is to love your country!’ a poster invokes the wartime spirit in order to fight COVID-19

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Other Ways to Donate:

Apart for the official government channels outlined above, there are other ways to donate. The popular Vietnamese- and English-language online newspaper, VN Express, for example, has made it possible to donate via its Hope Foundation. Please see this link for details.

I’m sure there are many other channels for donations as well as the ones on this page, and other practical ways to help in Vietnam’s fight to stop the spread of COVID-19. If you have any suggestions, please comment below. Thank you.

‘Repel Corona Virus’ a Vietnamese video game promotes good practices in the fight against COVID-19

‘Quarantine Area’ a sign seals off a Vietnamese street while authorities inspect it

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