Project manager in charge of Raising Children in Nghe An "lost contact", Lawyer talks about signs of violation

(NLDO)- According to lawyers, the person in charge of fundraising not responding, not organizing reconciliation or losing contact is an abnormal sign of fundraising management.

As reported by Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, the Nghe An Provincial Police have launched an investigation into the "Nurturing Children - Nghe An" charity project, following petitions from benefactors requesting verification of the project's financial transparency and related issues.

Fanpage of the "Raise Children - Nghe An" project.

The "Sponsor Children - Nghe An" project has been implemented in many schools in the (formerly) mountainous districts of Nghe An province from 2019 to the present. Preschool and primary school students are "adopted" by benefactors – receiving financial support for meals each school year (9 months), with a support amount of 150,000 VND/month, later increasing to 200,000 VND/month. Each student is only sponsored by one benefactor, and each benefactor can sponsor multiple students.

The project was initiated and managed by Ms. Do Thi Nga. On various media channels, Ms. Nga introduced herself as the Head of the Standing Committee of the National Volunteer Network in the Central region - National Volunteer Center (Central Youth Union). This information led many people to believe that this was a legitimate program, linked to the Central Youth Union, and therefore contributed money to its implementation.

In a petition sent to the authorities, Ms. Nguyen Thi H. (residing in Nghe An province) stated that due to signs of a lack of transparency in the project, many philanthropists contacted Ms. Do Thi Nga, the program manager, but since October 15, 2025, she has not responded and contact has been lost. Outraged, many philanthropists have written petitions to the relevant authorities.

Speaking to a reporter from the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper about this case, lawyer Hoang Ha (from the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association) said that according to information in the media and based on the facts, the project manager of "Nuoi Em - Nghe An" (Ms. Do Thi Nga) showed signs of failing to fulfill her minimum accountability obligations as committed, failing to present a reconciliation statement of income and expenditure, expenditure documents, confirmation from the beneficiary unit, or reports that did not match the bank statements, the number of contributors, or the number of students.

The "Sponsor Children in Nghe An" project responded to several questions raised by donors starting from October 23rd.

Lawyer Hoang Ha also pointed out that Ms. Do Thi Nga showed signs of avoiding contact, not responding, and delaying the provision of evidence of income and expenditure. "When benefactors request a reconciliation and the person organizing the fundraising does not respond, does not organize a reconciliation, or loses contact while still obligated to provide an explanation, this is an unusual sign regarding the management of the funds raised," said lawyer Hoang Ha.

The lawyer also analyzed: There are signs of receiving and using money for improper purposes if the money, which was raised to support students' meals, is withdrawn and spent for other purposes, not transferred to the intended beneficiaries as announced, not returned unused portions, or shows signs of misappropriation. "Therefore, the authorities will rely on evidence such as bank statements, expenditure documents, and reconciliation with the beneficiaries... to conclude whether Ms. Nga has committed violations and to what extent," lawyer Hoang Ha emphasized.

The reporter also raised the issue that much of the information about the "Nurturing Children - Nghe An" project disseminated on social media is linked to the National Volunteer Center (Central Youth Union), so what responsibility does the National Volunteer Center have in this matter?

According to lawyer Hoang Ha, in this case, the National Volunteer Center's responsibility is to consider the actual connection between the Center and the "Nurturing Children in Nghe An" project, and not to make assumptions based solely on an individual associating the Center's name with the project.

According to media reports, Ms. Do Thi Nga introduced herself as a member of the National Volunteer Network in the Central region - National Volunteer Center (Central Youth Union), and this detail led many to believe that this was a legitimate program affiliated with the National Volunteer Center.

In principle, the Center's role is to connect, coordinate, provide information, train, advise on policy, and coordinate the volunteer network.

Therefore, the Center's responsibility (if any) typically falls into three areas requiring clarification: Firstly, clarifying whether Ms. Nga was assigned the task, authorized, or named as the project owner by the Center. Secondly, whether the project used the Center's official systems, accounts, seals, or communication channels. If there was no authorization but the name was used in a misleading way, the Center is responsible for publicly correcting the misinformation to avoid further misunderstandings and protect the donor.

Secondly, the National Volunteer Center needs to coordinate in providing information to relevant authorities, such as decisions recognizing positions within the network (if any), network operating regulations, official contact channels, and data related to whether or not the project falls under a program coordinated by the Center.

Thirdly, if the verification agency concludes that the project is an activity led, co-led, or authorized by the National Volunteer Center, then the Center is responsible for the internal control, transparency, and handling of any violations (if any). Conversely, if the project is independent and organized by individuals or groups, the Center is primarily responsible for verification, correction, and coordination to prevent misuse of its name.

"In short, the National Volunteer Center is not automatically liable for financial matters simply because its name is mentioned, but the Center has a responsibility to clarify the legal relationship and cooperate in providing information so that the authorities can correctly conclude the nature of the case," lawyer Hoang Ha stated.

According to benefactors, in schools in Muong Ai, Nam Can, Luong Minh, Nhon Mai, Xa Luong, etc., Nghe An province, 241 students have been sponsored by 61 benefactors with a total donation of over 514 million VND. Furthermore, if we were to count all the students in the "Sponsor Children - Nghe An" project from its inception to the present, the actual number would be much higher…

Philanthropists have requested that relevant authorities in Nghe An province investigate and clarify the management and use of project funds. They also urged timely measures to protect the legitimate rights of philanthropists and ensure the credibility of charitable activities by organizations.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nguoi-phu-trach-du-an-nuoi-em-nghe-an-mat-lien-lac-luat-su-noi-ve-dau-hieu-vi-pham-19625120812515235.htm