Twenty-one songs about Agent Orange victims selected from 172 entries were awarded in a ceremony at the Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi recently.
Composer Khanh Vinh from Ho Chi Minh City won the first prize with his song entitled ‘Loi Ru’ (Lullaby).
The contest, launched in October 2010 in response to the 50th anniversary of the use of AO in Vietnam (August 10, 1961 - 2011), was jointly held by the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA), the ASEAN Communications Joint Stock Company and the Vietnam Musicians’ Association.
At the award ceremony, the national humanitarian portal 1400 announced that it received 351,238 SMS in support for the “Joining hands in easing AO pains” program between February 22 and June 19, raising more than VND6.3 billion. With the money, the VAVA Central Committee will build 55 communal-level day care centers for AO victims and 550 charitable houses, grant more than 1,000 scholarships to and find jobs for children of AO victims. (vovnews.vn June 27)
