Vientiane, July 5 -- Overseas Vietnamese in Laos prepare free meals every Saturday at Phat Tich Pagoda in Vientiane, offering comfort and nourishment to hundreds of patients and disadvantaged people and keeping alive a spirit of compassion and solidarity through unsung acts of kindness.
While the dawn mist still clings to the capital, Vietnamese Buddhist followers wash rice, sort vegetables, and tend the fires. There are no calls for recognition, just the shared desire to support the needy with warm meals that might ease hunger and loneliness for those battling disease.
The initiative was launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by Tran Thi Tuyet Anh, a 70-year-old Vietnamese-Lao woman. Since then, she and other Buddhist followers fr...