The event took place at Longfield Hall in south London, attracting members of the Vietnamese community and international friends. This was the second time the Seeds of Love Foundation had organised a cultural event combined with charitable fundraising to support disadvantaged communities in Viet Nam.

Last year, the Foundation's charitable activities focused on residents in the mountainous area of Khau Vai, Meo Vac. This year, it selected villages inhabited by the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic community along the Ho Chi Minh Road in Quang Tri.

In this area, some residents continue to face difficult living conditions, with limited access to clean water and roads, and are frequently cut off from surrounding areas during the rainy and flood seasons.

Children are guided in making traditional Vietnamese tò he figurines, a folk craft activity, at the “Thinking of Central Viet Nam with Love” cultural fundraising event. (Photo: Huu Tien/VNA correspondent in the UK).

According to Dao Kim Thu, founder and director of the Seeds of Love Foundation and initiator of the programme, the Foundation's activities aim not only to support women, children and disadvantaged communities in Viet Nam, but also to create opportunities to connect overseas Vietnamese, introduce national culture to international friends, and nurture a love for their homeland among younger generations.

Alongside its charitable objectives, the programme offered a range of activities showcasing traditional Vietnamese culture, including learning about Dong Ho folk paintings, making tò he figurines, decorating bamboo dragonflies and paper fans, and enjoying Vietnamese tea.

Notably, the children's painting competition, “Viet Nam Through My Eyes”, provided an opportunity for young participants to express their knowledge of and affection for their homeland through art.

Bao Vi, nine, who lives in the UK and is taken by her parents to Viet Nam once a year, chose the traditional ao dai dress and conical hat as the subjects of her painting. She said she particularly loved Viet Nam's traditional ao dai.

The programme also received an enthusiastic response from international friends with close ties to Viet Nam. Ion Stott, whose wife is Vietnamese, attended the event to learn more about Vietnamese culture, interact with the community and take part in artistic activities.

Meanwhile, Matt Ramsden, whose partner is also Vietnamese, said he was deeply moved to see Vietnamese families joining hands to support ethnic minority communities in central Viet Nam. He noted that solidarity and mutual assistance become even more essential during difficult times.

Children colour bamboo dragonflies together at the “Thinking of Central Viet Nam with Love” cultural fundraising event. (Photo: Huu Tien/VNA correspondent in the UK).

Through cultural and charitable activities, the “Thinking of Central Viet Nam with Love” programme helps maintain strong ties between the Vietnamese community in the UK and their homeland, while providing a space for cultural exchange and introducing Vietnamese cultural values to international friends.

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