(CPV) – In Hanoi, on July 18, a charitable activity was launched to celebrate International Day of Nelson Mandela, with the participation of Ambassadors from Mozambique, Angola, Nigeria and Palestine.

About 133 million VND raised from a campaign by the South African Embassy in Vietnam was used to buy equipment for functional rehabilitation for disabled children at Thuy An Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped Children, Ba Vi district, Hanoi (a home of about 200 physically handicapped young people with a variety of needs).

Donations including some medical equipments such as 01 backbone handling equipment, 01 electrical acupuncture machine, and 05 infrared lamps, 08 wheelchairs for cerebral palsy children and 120 gifts with snacks.

Photo: Anh Quan

On the occasion of Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday (July 18), this year’s day calls on individuals and organisations to spend 94 minutes to give a hand to disadvantaged children.

The South African Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr Ratubatsi Super Moloi, said that the annual celebration aims to gather the solidarity of international community in maintaining the value of freedom and justice which the late President of South Africa struggled for.

The donation will assist the doctors and the nurses in this Centre in their rehabilitation and humanitarian work. No degree of physical handicap should ever be allowed to define who we are because the essence of who we are is more than just our physical makeup.

In November 2009, the UN declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day with the theme “Take action. Inspire change. Make every day a Mandela Day” to recognize the contributions of the former South African President, who devoted 67 years of his life to the cause of freedom and struggle for justice./.