Green youth in the middle of the forest

March comes to the highland hillsides, bringing with it the brilliant yellow sunshine, the gentle winds blowing through the coffee trees and the lush green corn fields. In the colors of the sky and earth that March, there is a prominent, simple yet beautiful color - the green volunteer shirt color. It is the color of youth, of enthusiasm, of tireless steps on the journey of sowing love, nurturing hope in remote villages, on bumpy roads.

Every volunteer season, green shirts appear on every road of the highlands, from the red basalt soil to the clear streams winding through the vast forest. Young feet carry excitement, hearts carry the desire to contribute. They come not to seek something great, but simply to give - to give youth, enthusiasm, warm smiles and beautiful dreams of a shared life.

The road to the small village winds through lush green tea hills, fruit-laden coffee plantations, and has bumpy, muddy sections after sudden rains in the jungle. But for the young volunteers, all difficulties are just challenges, not barriers. They go with the spirit of young people: "Where there is a need, there is youth; where there is difficulty, there is youth."

Stopping at a small school in the middle of a remote village, where the Ede, Bana, and M'Nong children peeked out from behind the old wooden doors, their clear eyes looking at the visitors in green shirts with a bit of shyness. That was the moment when the young people realized that there are lands where simple joy is just a new book, an intact bag, or simply a gentle hand stroking the head.

Small classrooms were built right under the canopy of the forest, on the ground still smelling of wild grass. The sound of spelling and giggling echoed in the mountains and forests, making the space strangely warm. Each letter given was not only knowledge, but also hope and motivation for the children here to know that the outside world is very big, and letters are the bridge that takes them to new horizons.

Volunteer days are not only about teaching, but also about going to the fields with the locals, helping them rebuild fences that collapsed after the storm, digging wells for villages lacking clean water, or simply helping the elderly repair their rickety roofs. The hands that were used to holding pens are now covered with mud, the shoulders that used to bear the pressure of schoolwork are now used to heavy loads, to the hardships of the people in the mountainous regions.

There are days when planting trees on high hills, their hands are covered with red soil but their eyes are bright with joy. Because they know that each green tree planted today will be a shade in the future, will be a life growing from the soil, just like the aspirations of youth who always want to plant and grow up with their homeland. But perhaps, the most beautiful thing in the trips is not only the completed projects, but also the strong bonds between people, between hearts that know how to share and love.

There are moments when, sitting by the flickering fire in the middle of the forest, young people look up at the starry sky, listening to the whispering wind of the forest. They understand that youth is not forever, but what they do today will last forever. One day, when they leave their volunteer days, they will remember the innocent eyes of children, remember the calloused hands of the people who once held their hands and said thank you. They will remember the sunny roads, the deep green hills, where they witnessed the enthusiastic and passionate footsteps of youth.

Volunteering is not just about trips, but also about an attitude towards life - living for others, living with an open heart and a sense of responsibility. March will pass, volunteering trips may end, but the good things that young people have sown on this highland land will forever remain, like green shoots growing from the red soil, like dreams that continue to grow in the hearts of those who stay. And somewhere, on the roads of the homeland, the green volunteer shirts will continue to shine, like the most beautiful symbol of youth.

Because youth is not only the years we have lived, but also what we have given.

Source: http://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202503/thanh-xuan-xanh-giua-dai-ngan-b6564ff/