Extending friendship through volunteering

Ho Chi Minh City summer volunteer soldiers support medical examination and medicine distribution for Lao people during the 2024 summer volunteer campaign - Photo: QUYNH NHU

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union Ngo Minh Hai visited and encouraged soldiers participating in Laos this year, and attended the 20th anniversary activities in Champasak and Attapeu provinces. Sharing with Tuoi Tre after the trip, Mr. Hai said:

- Ho Chi Minh City youth have brought to Laos many meaningful and valuable activities and projects, providing practical support in the face of difficulties in the neighboring country. It can be said that volunteer diplomacy has contributed to fostering and extending the solidarity, friendship, and special relationship between the two countries.

From volunteering, opportunities for youth cooperation have opened up. The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a cooperative friendship with the Champasak Provincial Youth Union for the period 2017 - 2020, opening the signing of memorandums of understanding between the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, the Vientiane Youth Union and the Attapeu Provincial Youth Union in many meaningful and outstanding activities.

Mr. NGO MINH HAI

Many memorable works and marks

Mr. NGO MINH HAI

* What do you think is the most memorable mark of Ho Chi Minh City youth in Champasak and Attapeu (Laos) in the past 20 years?

- It can be affirmed that the special friendship between the two countries has been closely linked by the youth of the two countries through 20 years of volunteering. Up to now, volunteer activities in Laos have been shaped into five regular and highly specialized routes and projects.

These include social security care; health support, medical training; knowledge support to improve the quality of agricultural and livestock products; support for cultural teaching, education on start-up knowledge, improving skills; and activities to connect the traditions of Vietnam and Laos.

Some key projects that have been put into use, bringing practical benefits to Lao people, include: irrigation motors for agriculture, lighting up the Vietnam - Laos friendship road with solar lights, painting playgrounds and classrooms at schools, donating Vietnam - Laos Youth Friendship House; examining and giving medicine to people...

Calculate expansion of area

* We have become familiar with each other. What is special about this 20-year milestone of volunteering in Laos?

- At the 20-year milestone, the Steering Committee of volunteer programs and campaigns in Laos established specific lines of activities such as: traditional education, cultural and artistic exchange; support for education development, vocational training, career guidance; guidance, health care, medical development; support for agricultural development, civilized urban construction; social security... with a total value of over 5 billion VND.

Some affiliated units have signed cooperation agreements, thereby promoting the development of cooperation between the people and youth of the two countries, especially in the health sector. In addition to the meaningful projects and tasks that volunteers have done, there is also the activity of composing songs about the friendship between Vietnamese and Lao youths on this meaningful 20th anniversary.

* Looking back 20 years, how do we plan for future activities, sir?

- 20 years of volunteering is a solid foundation for the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union as well as the Steering Committee for volunteer activities in Laos to promote the achievements, projects and meaningful tasks that have been carried out. At the same time, it is also the right time to consider expanding the area of ​​volunteer activities to other places in the neighboring country.

Starting to learn about and expand volunteer activities of Ho Chi Minh City youth is a challenge because many things need to be carefully prepared. However, with determination and volunteer spirit, we will do it.

The joy of Ho Chi Minh City summer volunteer soldiers in 2024 with Lao children - Photo: D.QUI

Giving new impetus to the movement

* From the perspective of designing the operating environment, what does the City Youth Union expect from volunteer soldiers in Laos in particular and volunteer activities in general?

- We hope that through volunteer activities in Laos as well as volunteer activities in general, the spirit of volunteerism and initiative of Ho Chi Minh City youth will be fully promoted, creating consensus and spreading among union members and youths to enthusiastically participate in the socio-economic development and friendly diplomacy of the city and the country. Thereby, creating motivation for innovation, improving the quality of Union - Association activities and youth volunteer movements.

Mr. KHAMSY LINSAVATH (Secretary of Champasak Provincial Youth Union, Laos):

A lot of support and helpful for people

First of all, I would like to sincerely thank the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union and the youth of Ho Chi Minh City for their support in organizing volunteer activities in our country. These meaningful activities have affirmed the good coordination between Ho Chi Minh City youth volunteers and the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union of Champasak Province from the beginning until now. At the same time, it continues to strengthen the special friendship between Laos and Vietnam in general and Champasak Province and Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

From the volunteer activities of Ho Chi Minh City youth, we have received a lot of support. From free medical examination and medicine, training in farming, animal husbandry, IT training, teaching Vietnamese to giving scholarships to students, giving gifts to poor families. You also build friendship houses for people, give computers and other activities that if converted into material value are very large.

Thanks to the training of youth volunteers, people in many localities have learned how to grow crops and raise livestock properly, how to propagate and care for plants, as well as how to properly prevent pests and diseases, care for livestock and vaccinate them properly... In addition, cultural, artistic and sports exchange activities in recent years have been upgraded with many activities and support in many aspects.

Being the first place to receive volunteer activities of Ho Chi Minh City youth since 2004, up to now the quantity and quality of projects and tasks have increased every year. Regarding future plans, we will discuss with Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, at the same time research and plan detailed activities, aiming to improve and upgrade activities to make it most convenient for you to work, and also more useful for us, the people.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/noi-dai-huu-nghi-qua-tinh-nguyen-20240710095304547.htm