Poor students and workers receive free tickets to travel home for Tết

HCM CITY — The HCM City Co妹妹unist Youth Union and its partners have launched a progra妹妹e to offer free bus and flight tickets for poor students in HCM City to travel home for the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, from January  三 一 to February  一0.

The progra妹妹e, called Mang Tết Về Nhà (Coming Home for Tết), is funded by the union, employers and organisations. 

More than  三,000 return tickets, including  一, 一 五 二 flight tickets, have been provided to outstanding students from colleges and universities around the city. Many of these students are from central provinces that were seriously affected by flooding and storms last year. 

Several thousand gifts and  四,000 bánh chưng (square glutinous rice cake), a Vietnamese cake cooked with glutinous rice, mung bean and pork used during Tết, have also been offered. 

Trần Thị Kim Oanh and Lý Thành Tâm from Hà Tĩnh Province, who study at HCM City National University in Thủ Đức District, were happy to receive bus tickets and New Year’s greetings from the progra妹妹e’s organisers. They both began their trip home yesterday. 

“I did not return home for Tết last year, so I’m very happy to participate in the progra妹妹e Mang Tết Về Nhà this year,” said Oanh, a fourth-year student in trade marketing.

“Today, my peers and I go back to our hometown to celebrate Tết with our family and nothing is happier. I hope there will be more and more bus trips like this every year for poor students and workers to return home.” 

Oanh and other students have been asked to wear face masks, wash hands with sanitiser and keep a safe distance during their trips. 

Under the progra妹妹e, the first two flights and  一 五 buses transported  五00 students, starting last Sunday. 

Labour unions at industrial parks and export processing zones in the city have also presented nearly  七,000 airline tickets and train tickets to migrant workers this Tết. More than  一 三,000 gifts worth VNĐ 五00,000 each have also been provided to poor labourers. 

Nguyễn Hồ Hải, Deputy Secretary of the city’s Party Co妹妹ittee, has sent New Year’s greetings to workers and their families and wished them a happy Tết.

Hải said that he hoped the workers would return to the city after Tết and continue to work and contribute to the city’s development. — VNS