Consular Club holds international charity bazaar

On Saturday morning, thousands of Vietnamese and expatriates flocked to the 18th annual Ho Chi Minh City Consular Club’s Charity Bazaar to raise fund for disadvantaged people in the southern region.

A children’s orchestra sings at the opening of the bazaar. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Held at the Diamond Place Convention Centre in Phu Nhuan District, the event showcased more than 20 booths selling goods from 18 countries including America, Australia, Canada, China, Cuba, France, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Holland, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

The goods included the countries’ national costumes, cuisines, souvenirs, ceramics, fruits and books.

Local celebrities including actor Chi Bao, singer Minh Anh and MC Thu Huong also took part in the bazaar.

Duong Chi Hung, the visually impaired keyboardist, who was supported by the club, performed at the event.

“I’m so happy to be here and perform. Music is my love but it also is a chance for me to say thanks to the Consular Club, who help me a lot,” Hung said with smile.

Like bazaars in previous years, visitors also had chance to join a Grand Raffle and won prizes or brochures for airline tickets, resort stays, and spa packages sponsored by well-known international and local enterprises.

Olesa and Elina, two Russian women who have lived in HCMC for 3 years while studying in RMIT University, said this was the second time they had attended the bazaar.

“This year’s bazaar was better than previous ones, with more and higher-quality goods for sale,” they said. Last year’s event attracted 1,900 attendees.

Santa Claus also appeared and took pictures with children, adding the festive atmosphere of Christmas into the event.

Founded in 1994, the Consular Club of Ho Chi Minh City, a non-profit organization comprising of spouses of the city’s Consul-Generals, aims to make a contribution towards improving the quality of life of disadvantaged people, mainly in southern Vietnam.

The main fundraising is the annual Charity Bazaar, typically held in November.

The club has launched around 30 charity projects, such as Dieu Giac Orphanage Education Grants in HCMC, the Women’s Union in Long An Province Scholarship Program, the Can Gio Clean Water Project, and the My Thanh Senitation Project in Ben Tre to help disadvantaged people in the region.

A Christmas house made of cookies at the German booth draws people attention

U.S. Consul General Le Thanh An and his wife Le Chi Tam, president of the club, give flowers to the visually impaired keyboardist after his performance at the event

New Zealand’s book booth was one of the most crowded booths at the bazaar