On February 10, 2018, when many families in Vietnam were busy with preparations for Tet – Vietnam’s Lunar New Year holiday – the charity team of IMM Group visited the rural commune of Ninh Quoi in Hong Dan District, Bac Lieu Province in southern Vietnam on a mission to bring Tet to 150 local students who live in poverty.
Tran Van Tinh, founder and CEO of IMM Group, speaks to local students during a charitable trip to Ninh Quoi Commune, Hong Dan District in Bac Lieu Province.
With a total budget of VND 150 million (US$6,600), the “Have Yourself A Happy Little Tet” campaign awarded 150 scholarships to 150 pre-college students in Ninh Quoi. These scholarships represent IMM’s wish to provide financial support, humble as it may be, to underprivileged students with the hope of bringing them the more comfortable and enjoyable Tet holiday.
Delegates and locals attend IMM Group’s scholarship awards ceremony in Ninh Quoi Commune.
“Tet is the time for family reunion and home cleaning,” said Tran Van Tinh, founder and CEO of IMM Group. “But my family rarely felt the joy in it since we used to struggle daily to make ends meet and put up with challenges in life. And it is often the case for poor families. I’ve seen parents who, dejected during Tet, force their kids to skip school after Tet to help with family works. Students who are old enough to understand can also be disheartened by their family’s poverty and want to give a helping hand by dropping out of school after the holiday.” IMM’s scholarships therefore carry a bigger meaning than their value in that they convey the company’s wish to bring a more comfortable Tet holiday to students and their families to encourage them to stay in school.
Students’ faces light up with joy during IMM Group’s scholarship awards ceremony in Ninh Quoi Commune.
Students listen attentively during IMM Group’s scholarship awards ceremony in Ninh Quoi Commune.
Addressing locals during an intimate meeting at a communal hall, Tinh said IMM’s charitable trip was not as much about handing over the scholarships as it was about giving local students “motivation, confidence and hope” to help them “study hard and become good, talented and useful citizens.”
Tran Van Tinh, founder and CEO of IMM Group, awards scholarships to local students in Ninh Quoi Commune.
A partner of IMM Group awards scholarships to local students in Ninh Quoi Commune.
Tinh himself came from an underprivileged background, sold lottery tickets and home-made tofu on the street as a kid to earn money. Sharing his life’s story at the meeting, Tinh hoped to inspire other unlucky kids to overcome financial challenges and persevere in their academic endeavors. “Without a high school diploma, you can do nothing,” he told the children. “Only with education can you become important people, travel around the world, contribute to your hometown and help other ones when you grow up.”
Students listen attentively during IMM Group’s scholarship awards ceremony in Ninh Quoi Commune.
IMM’s goal when organizing charitable campaigns aimed at little kids is to take good care of their education, not only for a short period around Tet holiday but also in the long run, so that they can become the real masters of their own fate.
Students listen attentively during IMM Group’s scholarship awards ceremony in Ninh Quoi Commune.
A recap of IMM Group’s charitable trip to Ninh Quoi Commune, Hong Dan District in Bac Lieu Province ahead of the 2018 Lunar New Year holiday.
To witness the joy of these children and their families as their hope was renewed was a touching moment for members of the IMM team. With the hope of bringing more happy Tet holidays to residents in Ninh Quoi as well as keeping local children motivated to stay in school, “Have Yourself A Happy Little Tet” is also the first step in establishing an IMM charitable fund in the near future.
IMM Group
