Starting with small contributions before 2023
According to Den (aka Denau), he knew about the project early and participated with small contributions. Den affirmed that he did not participate in running or operating the program, only supported voluntarily. The motivation for his long-term commitment comes from witnessing many children being " stopped raising" when benefactors are not qualified to continue.
From there, he hopes to create a stable financial source through music, ensuring that they can be supported continuously.
May 2023: The song "Cooking for you" is released, opening up new resources
On May 13, 2023, the song "Cooking for you" was officially released. Den announced that all revenue after expenses will be donated to the "Nuoi Em" project. After only one week, the official fanpage of the program announced that more than 12,000 newly adopted children had been identified, of which 4,758 cases had completed confirmation. This is the moment that marks the strong influence of the project through music.
2023: Publicly announced first phase 1 revenue
After the first month, the song's revenue reached 418 million VND. Black has rounded up 500 million VND and transferred it all to the project with the purpose of supporting meals and building schools for children in mountainous areas. This is the first financial disclosure milestone and will be maintained continuously afterwards.
In 2023 - 2024: 850 million VND to build two schools
In the next two reports, Den announced that it would use the song's revenue to contribute a total of 850 million VND to build two schools in Cao Bang and Lai Chau. These projects are on the priority list of the project to improve the learning conditions of children in disadvantaged areas.
From the end of 2024 to now: Invest 1.2 billion VND for 12 IT rooms
In the period of 2024 - 2025, Den continues to allocate 1.2 billion VND from song revenue to donate 12 IT rooms in many mountainous provinces. Investing in facilities and learning equipment is considered a step forward from meal support to improving educational infrastructure. The male rapper shared that there are 2 schools in Dien Bien and Nghe An that have been supported by the DV team with 200 million VND to build IT rooms.
Up to the time before the controversy broke out, Den had publicly reported the revenue from the MV "Cooking for children" many times, with a total amount of about 3 billion VND (of which more than 2 billion VND was spent on the "Nuoi Em" project and the rest on other charity activities).
The male rapper did not establish his own fund, did not receive money from fans and only used the revenue from his own products.
Noise related to the transparency of the "Nuoi Em" project broke out in early December 2025 when many benefactors reported the situation of matchmaking codes, lack of information updates and the collection and expenditure were not fully publicized. Some opinions questioned the project's use of personal accounts to receive donations, raising concerns about the risk of loss or improper financial management.
Faced with public pressure, the authorities have stepped in to verify the financial activities and operation procedures of the project. The project leaders and some major benefactors, including rapper Den Vai, have spoken out about the role and contributions.
