Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Kawasaki City has recently promised to gift children in Vietnam’s central region an addition of 4,000 bicycles from now to 2013, bringing the total number of bicycles it has given away over the past few years to 10,000.

Children in Quang Nam Province receive bicycles as gifts of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Kawasaki City

The donation of bicycles is aimed to help poor children in the region, such as Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province, return to school after many of them have dropped out due to the long distance they have to cover to get to school.

In some cases, the bicycle is a valuable asset for a poor family and a means of transport for the entire family to go to school and work.

In the past years, the association presented 6,400 bicycles worth VND12.7 billion ($605,000) to children in Da Nang and Quang Nam.

The chairman said his agency would act as a link between the two nations to boost the exchange of students and lecturers and mobilise humanitarian sponsorship and social welfare work.

Huynh Duc Truong, chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations in Da Nang City, awarded a certificate of recognition to Miyahara Haruo for his contributions to Vietnam.