This year, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 epidemic, Hoa Hao Buddhist Church has issued a dispatch requesting the suspension of activities with large gatherings and asking its members to strictly observe guidelines of the Prime Minister and local authorities.
The Church also called on its deacons and members to practically contribute for the Covid-19 prevention and control with practical activities.
Specifically, the Hoa Hoa Buddhist Church has donated two billion VND to the vaccine fund and contributed about 130 billion VND to the Covid-19 prevention work in localities, especially southern provinces (Ho Chi Minh city, Binh Duong and Dong Nai, etc).
For the last four months, Hoa Hao Buddhist charity kitchens in pagodas have maintained cooking teams for preparing free meals to lockdown areas, hospitals, and field hospitals. In addition, according to Chairwoman of the Church’s Representative Committee in Ho Chi Minh city, every day, the Committee has received about 15 tons of food including rice, salt, vegetables and fruits from district-level executive committees and sponsors from other provinces and cities for delivering to quarantine areas and hospitals.
Despite facing difficulties in supporting communities and Hoa Hao Buddhists affected by the pandemic, Hoa Hao Buddhist Church has maintained charitable activities. The Church’s executive bodies at all levels have strived to support its members and other local people. Most of the provincial representative committees and the local executive boards have closely collaborated with local authorities to in organizing “Zero market” and “Zero bus”, providing necessities to lockdown areas and poor households in localities. Many Hoa Hao Buddhists have prepared food and drink for poor people during implementing social distancing. Thousands of tons of agricultural products have been donated and sent to Ho Chi Minh City and provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong.
PH
