Speaking at a ceremony on April 15, Dantri's Editor-in-Chief Pham Tuan Anh said the outlet has spent more than two decades supporting vulnerable groups and building community infrastructure alongside its journalism.
Backed by donors at home and abroad, the newspaper has built 58 classrooms and 32 rural bridges and roads, alongside other social programmes. In early 2024, it launched a campaign aligned with the government’s push to eliminate substandard housing, raising its target from 100 to 200 homes.
So far, 255 houses have been launched, with 226 completed and handed over.
Lao Cai vice chairwoman Vu Thi Hien Hanh praised the initiative, saying it provides not only material support but also strengthens community solidarity.
She called on local authorities to continue identifying and assisting households in need while promoting sustainable poverty reduction.
One beneficiary, Cao Van Phung of Viet Hai hamlet, said his family’s new 100 square metre home, costing about VND 300 million (approximately USD 11,400), fulfilled a long-held dream. The house was partly funded by local authorities and readers, with the remainder covered by a concessional loan repayable over 10 years.
At the ceremony, Hanh presented 16 gifts to six beneficiary households and 10 other disadvantaged families in Phuc Khanh Commune. The newspaper also gave 10 families VND 1 million each, totalling VND 10 million.
The outlet has also built 50 flood-resilient floating homes, organised 28 free medical outreach programmes for more than 6,000 people, provided over 7,200 health insurance cards to disadvantaged students, and launched nearly 6,000 fundraising appeals.
The initiative forms part of wider national efforts to improve living conditions and expand social welfare support.