Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, residing in Ward 13, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, is very proud because now she has 5 adopted children who are Laotian students studying in Vietnam. Initially, Ms. Hang planned to adopt 2 Laotian students for a period of time, but through activities and communication, she realized that she understood her children's thoughts and feelings, so she decided to adopt them until they finished university. Happier still, in addition to the 2 Laotian students officially adopted through the program, there are 3 other Laotian students who, out of respect for her feelings, volunteered to be adopted by the family.
Ms. Hang shared: “When the children came to the family and called me “mother”, I felt responsible for them, loving and caring for them as if they were my own relatives. The children who came to live with the family were all very obedient, enthusiastically helping the family with everything, and participating in social work and local movements with the family, so they received attention and high appreciation from the Party Committee, government, political organizations and unions.”
Like Ms. Hang, for the past 10 years, Ms. Truong Thuy Uyen, Ward 15, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City has participated in sponsoring Cambodian students studying in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, she is sponsoring 2 Cambodian students studying at Ton Duc Thang University. Although the children do not live directly with their families, they still regularly visit their foster parents to participate in activities, go sightseeing, or participate in common activities with the family.
Ms. Uyen said: “My son is the same age as my two adopted Cambodian children, and they are both studying at the same university. This is a favorable condition for me to care for them. They always support and help each other during their time at school.”
At the beginning of adopting Cambodian students, Ms. Uyen encountered certain difficulties such as the children's fear of studying abroad alone, interacting with strange families, and some of them not speaking Vietnamese very well... Overcoming all of that, she told herself that with genuine care and love, she would sow good feelings for the Cambodian students. When they were sick, or had good academic achievements or birthdays, she shared and encouraged them promptly. The greatest gift to her was the happiness of hearing her adopted children call her "mother".
Not only in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and many localities across the country also join hands to participate in the adoption model to help Lao and Cambodian students studying and living in the area.
Dances that strengthen Vietnam-Laos friendship. Photo: Duc Anh
Identifying herself as a “Second Mother”, Ms. Hoang Thi Nga, residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city, Nghe An province, has actively participated in raising Lao children to study in Vietnam.
Ms. Nga confided: “On July 25, 2020, the Women's Association of Trung Hung block, Hung Dung ward, Vinh city, Nghe An province organized a twinning ceremony with Lao students at Vinh Medical University. At that time, there were 122 Lao students studying abroad and right after the twinning ceremony, in September 2020, the adoption activity was organized, divided into 3 phases. However, due to the outbreak of Covid-19, the block could only organize the first phase with 40 children, my family adopted 3 children. Before that, I also adopted 1 child who was a Lao student, now the child has finished studying and returned to the country".
Along with Mrs. Nga's family, many families have adopted Lao students long before the twinning ceremony took place.
As time passed, Lao and Cambodian students gradually graduated and returned to their homeland to live and work, but still kept in touch with their adoptive parents in Vietnam. The adoptive parents and their children had many happy and sad memories. For Ms. Nga, the most profound and loving memory was with Phonekeo, whose Vietnamese name is Thao Tien. When she came to study, her mother had a heart disease and was brought to Vietnam for treatment and surgery at a hospital in Hanoi, but then could not return home due to the pandemic. Knowing her situation, Ms. Nga felt very sorry for her and discussed with the association to find a way to help her. In March 2022, Thao Tien graduated and returned home, bringing her biological mother back with her. Ms. Nga said goodbye to the mother and daughter and sent some Vietnamese gifts for her to bring back, which made the mother and daughter hug and cry. To this day, the mother and daughter still keep in touch via social networks.
As one of those who worked in Cambodia, with deep feelings of solidarity and friendship with the Cambodian people, when returning home, Mr. Vu Vuong Viet, former Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association, brought with him many feelings of attachment to the land of pagodas. When the "Nurturing Friendship" movement began to be launched continuously from 2002 until now, he and his family actively participated in the program and sponsored 7 Cambodian students studying in Vietnam.
Also one of the people who actively responded to the "Nurturing Friendship" movement and has up to 9 sponsored children who are Cambodian students, Mr. Nguyen The Dau, former Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Finance, Office of the National Assembly shared: "The purpose of this movement is to improve Vietnamese language skills, to support and encourage children to achieve high results in their studies. In addition, through the program, it creates conditions for students to learn about the culture and traditional history of Vietnam, such as organizing tours in the provinces and cities. On holidays, such as Lunar New Year, Cambodian New Year, National Day September 2, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association as well as his family often organize gifts for sponsored students, accompany them on tours, and learn about the historical and cultural values of Vietnam".
Mr. Nguyen The Dau and his adopted Cambodian students leave behind beautiful memories during their tours and travels. Photo: Provided by the character.
One of the leading localities in nurturing Lao and Cambodian children to study in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City. To effectively implement this, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City issued Project No. 01/DA-MTTQ-BTT dated May 28, 2021 on organizing the program "Vietnamese families with Lao and Cambodian students studying in Ho Chi Minh City" for the period 2021-2025. From this project, the Organizing Committee informed the Lao Consulate General and the Cambodian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss and agree on the content of the program. Accordingly, the parties reached a high level of agreement on the content and implementation methods of the program in the period 2021-2025.
To date, the program's Organizing Committee has mobilized and recorded 33 families, 42 Lao students and 6 Cambodian students participating in 2022. In particular, the families receive students in many forms: Living with the family, interacting on weekends or during school breaks...
In addition to the kindness of the families who sponsor and adopt Laotian and Cambodian students, the role of local authorities is extremely important for the program to be truly effective. Their attention, direction, and practical actions such as donations and support have brought success to the program in particular and further strengthened the friendship between the three brotherly countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia.
Leaders of provinces and cities across the country always follow and pay close attention to Lao and Cambodian students studying and living in the area. In Ho Chi Minh City, the City Youth Union has recently organized youth exchange and cooperation activities among the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia in general.
Comrade Nguyen Ho Hai, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee emphasized: “The Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee believes that Lao and Cambodian students are positive factors contributing to further strengthening the solidarity, friendship, and close-knit affection of the people of the three countries. The students will continue to be the ones to foster the good relationship between the three countries, contributing to building a prosperous country, together towards the goal of building a peaceful, cooperative and developed ASEAN community. The youth of the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia will be a very important factor in connecting and strengthening the friendship, the wholeheartedness that has been nurtured and developed by generations”.
The highlight of the program of Vietnamese families sponsoring and adopting Lao and Cambodian students is that it has created a good environment for Lao and Cambodian students to experience the daily life of Vietnamese families, thereby strengthening their emotional and spiritual ties when they have to study far from home. The program has received close attention and direction from authorities at all levels and has had smooth coordination between relevant agencies, organizations and localities. In particular, the program's success is thanks to the active response and participation of Vietnamese families. This noble gesture has practically contributed to the city's strengthening of people-to-people diplomacy with the people of Laos and Cambodia.
In addition to the attention and support of authorities at all levels as well as organizations and unions, the help and companionship of universities, colleges, and dormitories where Lao and Cambodian students study and live is indispensable.
Comrade Nguyen Thanh Nha, Deputy Director of the Lao Student Dormitory in Ho Chi Minh City, said: The Board of Directors of the Lao Student Dormitory periodically works with the Lao Student Self-Management Board and the Cambodian Student Self-Management Board to resolve issues related to the process of studying and living in the dormitory. In addition, regularly review and update student management records, register temporary residence and temporary absence periodically, and guide international students staying at the Lao Student Dormitory to extend their visas through the management software system of the Immigration Department. Organize meetings and discuss with new students about the dormitory's regulations and rules; at the same time listen, share and resolve the legitimate concerns and aspirations of new students.
In taking care of the spiritual and cultural life, the dormitory has coordinated to organize activities to celebrate the traditional Bunpimay New Year (Laos) and the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year (Cambodia) for Lao and Cambodian students. At the same time, organize monthly integration playgrounds for Lao and Cambodian students with tours to learn about historical sites, red addresses... Along with that, there are seminars and discussions on the topic "Post-Covid-19 health care and prevention of dengue fever during the rainy season", mobilize units to coordinate in awarding scholarships to Lao and Cambodian students...
To connect Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students, universities have organized many practical activities such as: Each practice and internship group has Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students to support students who are not good at Vietnamese or have not mastered the lessons well... At the same time, they regularly organize football exchange activities, picnics, arts, and cuisine between Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students, aiming to exchange cultures between the countries.
As a meaningful activity, imbued with humanity and friendship, the program of Vietnamese families adopting, sponsoring and helping Lao and Cambodian students to study and live in Vietnam has received and will receive much attention, support and cooperation from the community.
(continued)
-
- Content: GROUP OF REPORTERS OF PEOPLE'S ARMY ELECTRONIC NEWSPAPER
- Photo: People's Army Newspaper, Contributor
- Technical, graphic: TO NGOC
Comment (0)