A rice dispenser, called rice ATM, located in the Culture-Sports Center of Nghia Tan ward, Cau Giay district, was launched to help poor people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The project will run from 8:00 to 17:00 every day between April 11 and 30 or until the rice stock runs out.

Nguyen Trung Kien, 41, a motorbike taxi driver in Thanh Liet, Thanh Tri stood in the line waiting for his turn to tak free rice.

Nguyen Manh Hung, the initiator of the project, launched the rice dispenser after learning about the idea of making a rice distributing machine to help needy people affected by coronavirus in Ho Chi Minh City. So far he has 10 tons of rice to feed the machine.

On the first day of the project, more than 700 people came to receive rice and about 2.3 tons of rice was distributed. Most of them are middle-aged people, students from other provinces, motorbike – taxi drivers, janitors, and people with disability.

On the morning of April 11, local residents wash their hands and register before receiving rice from the machine.

They wait for their turn in line on designated labels placed two meters apart from one another.

A person can get 3kg of rice from this ATM every day.

Tran Thi Lanh, a 62-year-old cancer patient, said: “I rented a place next to the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and live on garbage collection. This amount of rice is enough to feed me in four days. I'm very happy."

This is how the rice dispenser works.

Le Dinh Tong, a 53-year-old man, and his family in Van Bao street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi donate the rice. “I will continue to support the project when it is launched in other places,” Tong said. Photo: VnExpress

Over 30 individuals and collectives donated rice to the project on the first day. On April 13, another rice dispenser will be in operation at the Bac Tu Liem district Cultural and Sports Center.