Hanoi (VNA) – For young people like Han Thanh Giang and Duong Bao Ngoc, the Youth for the Environment project under the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation (VSF) is more than just an initiative — it’s a transformational journey. Through hands-on experience, these young change-makers have gained the confidence, knowledge, and leadership skills needed to pursue careers grounded in sustainability and community impact.
When soft music played from her cute phone, Han Thanh Giang, a member of Generation 4 of the VSF’s Youth for the Environment project, answered the call. After a brief conversation, Giang smiled brightly: “I have completed my mission as a young communication ‘ambassador’ in the project. I’ve learned so much and become more confident in shaping my future career!”
Armed with knowledge after over a year of training and a passion for the environment, the young girl born in 2003 in Hanoi spent an hour sharing her meaningful journey of being associated with the VSF — a place that “nurtures” many green initiatives, where young “ambassadors” like Giang improve their knowledge and gain the right to act for sustainable environment.
Through the Youth for the Environment project, many initiatives by young people have been realised and widely spread by the foundation, contributing to public awareness improvement, especially among the youth. Examples include the communication campaign “Day Without Plastic Bags in Vietnam”, the Ecological Footprint training course, the Super Plastic Boardgame initiative, and the Green Instant Noodles initiative (turning instant noodle packaging into useful items and accessories).
A foundation for future leaders
Giang shared how she discovered the “Mat Xanh (Green Eyes) group, which manages the Youth for the Environment project. She first learned about the project in 2022 during a communication training course on environmental topics organised by the VFS.
“After participating in that training course, I saw Green Eyes had many exciting activities for young people, so I waited until the following year when they recruited members, then I applied. Fortunately, I was accepted as an official member of the project from March 2023,” Giang happily said.
According to her, a special point is that when becoming a member of the project, Giang and other official members were entrusted with the power to implement environmental activities and organise related events for other young people.
The role of the Green Eyes members is to operate and develop social media channels to spread messages about environmental protection; produce and edit creative communication products (articles, images, video clips...) to raise community awareness and encourage action to address environmental challenges; support organising and participating in training, workshops, and dialogues with stakeholders to contribute voices and solutions on environmental issues.
“After more than a year attached to the project, I have not only gained knowledge and experience but also improved my work skills and interpersonal relationships. Green Eyes has trained me in flexibility skills, helping me always inspire and pursue environmental activities,” Giang shared.
Thanks to Green Eyes and the VSF, Giang has taken part in numerous international exchange activities in the environmental field.
Talking about the most meaningful activity during her time with the Youth for the Environment project, Giang said it was when she served as coordinator for the communication campaign “Day Without Plastic Bags in Vietnam”. This event aimed to raise consumer awareness about reducing single-use plastic bags when shopping.
At that time, Giang and her teammates organised distribution of cloth bags to replace plastic bags at TH true marts and several supermarkets and shopping centres. Besides bag distribution, they also held a photo exhibition to raise participant awareness.
A testament to the special meaning of this event was the great interest from many journalists and media outlets, and the prepared cloth bags ran out quickly among housewives and shoppers.
“About ten days after distributing cloth bags at shops and supermarkets, I still saw people using the cloth bags given by the project when I was out,” Giang recounted, emphasising that this showed the programme’s effectiveness in changing awareness and consumer habits.
Empowering youth actions for environment
As a member of Generation 5 of the Green Eyes project, Duong Bao Ngoc, a student at the Academy of Journalism and Communications, has also participated in many training courses organised by the VSF. Ngoc said she was fascinated by Green Eyes’ many activities implemented by young people to spread environmental information and organise related campaigns.
“I found this model very interesting and it also reached young people well. So I registered to become a Green Eyes member to participate and help spread meaningful environmental messages and activities,” Ngoc shared, adding that she officially joined the project in April 2024.
A special feeling Ngoc gained after one year as a young “ambassador” of Green Eyes was a clear improvement in her specialised knowledge. Throughout her involvement, Ngoc and other group members not only received knowledge and attended seminars, workshops, and sharing sessions to “upgrade” their knowledge and update environmental information but were also empowered to organise and coordinate activities and events independently.
Recalling a memorable experience, Ngoc said that in July 2024, the group organised the “Ecological Footprint” training course — a 3-day, 2-night field trip to Cuc Phuong National Park. This was also Ngoc’s and a fellow Green Eyes member’s first time to plan and execute such a trip.
The field trip to Cuc Phuong was mainly for journalists and young reporters, who then produced environment-themed journalistic pieces based on the trip. The journey not only inspired young people through expert talks but also helped them understand the real situation of wildlife protection in Cuc Phuong, providing material for their works.
Regarding the Super Plastic Board game initiative (a group in Ho Chi Minh City that implemented the Boardgame in nine primary schools nationwide), Ngoc said this is one of the environmental initiatives that Green Eyes supported in 2024. The initiative incorporated knowledge about plastics, plastic waste, and microplastics into a smart board game.
“This programme perfectly reflects our group’s aim to embed environmental knowledge into new and more suitable forms for young people. When implemented and completed, it was evident that the board game was enthusiastically received by students, especially young children in Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, where the project was carried out,” the Generation 5 member shared.
At the Earth Hour event in Hanoi in March 2025, Ngoc’s team brought three boardgame sets to the VSF’s exhibition booth. With its innovative, interactive format and vivid environmental content, the team’s experience zone quickly became a popular stop for young visitors. The players’ enthusiasm showed the appeal of this creative approach and the potential to spread environmental messages through relatable experiences.
Ngoc also recounted the Green Instant Noodles initiative — a group in Hanoi guiding the production of items and accessories from instant noodle packaging at Dong Anh Specialised School. This was also one of the initiatives Green Eyes has supported. The initiative not only reduced plastic waste but also gave students at Dong Anh Specialised School a chance to learn recycling skills and make products such as baskets, bags, keychains, and earrings for sale, thus generating income.
At the beginning of 2025, the Green Instant Noodles group sent product samples to the VSF Director to share with teachers and students at TH School. These products received very positive feedback and attracted great interest.
“Many students and teachers were surprised to see products made from instant noodle packaging because they never thought this common waste could be recycled into sturdy and neat items. From initial curiosity, awareness about the value of recycling began to form: those packaging materials thought to be rubbish could become useful products instead of adding to plastic pollution. I think if such recycled products can be commercialised, it will not only promote green living but also create more resources to boost recycling activities,” Ngoc shared.
A special point with Han Thanh Giang, Duong Bao Ngoc, and many other youths in the Youth for the Environment project of the VSF is that thanks to being “trained” by this community project, most have gained a stronger foundation to define their future career paths.
For example, before working at the VOV Traffic channel, Ngoc spent a year with Green Eyes. Ngoc said, as a journalism student, she had previously pursued many ideas related to different fields such as energy and sustainable development. After joining Green Eyes, she had more opportunities to access real stories from young people and gain more knowledge and information about the environment.
Community projects for the environment at the VSF serve as stepping stones, providing both environmental knowledge and leadership skills for young participants.
After the time working for the project, Ngoc gained a clearer career direction to become a journalist focusing on topics such as the environment and plastic waste.
To date, Duong Bao Ngoc, Han Thanh Giang, and many young people in the project can be proud of their impressive records from the opportunities granted, their persistent passion for learning, and wholehearted dedication in their youth.
Given these meaningful results, it can be said the VSF is a place where green ideas are "nurtured" and a “bountiful harvest” season for the environment opened. In fact, 2025 also marks five years since the Youth for the Environment project began, with 5 to 10 youth-led initiatives “nurtured” annually. The foundation has provided financial support and technical assistance for young people to carry out their projects. Thanks to these yearly activities, many projects have been continued and implemented.
This also lays a firm foundation for young people to expand their knowledge and gain valuable experience to further promote their initiatives and career orientation.
Recognised and respected
Speaking highly of the impact of green initiatives and environmental activities by the VSF and the Youth for the Environment project in recent years, Dr Nguyen Trung Thang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment, emphasised that this is a non-profit social organisation aiming at supporting sustainable development.
“On its official website, the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation states that its objective is to contribute to the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]. This message is wonderful because we know that everywhere and all matters today target the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations for 2030, with 17 goals and 169 targets. Vietnam itself has 17 goals and 115 specific targets. So I’m truly impressed by the foundation’s objectives,” he said.
Especially in 2023 and 2024, the foundation supported the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (now the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Agriculture and Environment) in organising many communications activities such as the “Day Without Plastic Bags in Vietnam” campaign, helping to raise public awareness of plastic waste reduction.
The Youth for the Environment project played an active part by organising creative communications on social media and direct activities at supermarkets and retail companies. These efforts have successfully spread messages on reducing single-use plastic bags not only to shoppers but also through social media, impacting a wide consumer audience.
“According to retailers' statistics, the campaign reduced 40,000 plastic bags in 2023 and 160,000 in 2024 [equivalent to nearly 2.5 tonnes]. These are very meaningful numbers, showing a positive shift in public behaviour. If we persist and closely coordinate with other communication efforts, I believe we can achieve even greater and better results,” said Thang.
Beyond impressive statistics, Thang affirmed that retailers now understand the necessity of gradually reducing plastic bags and switching from non-biodegradable to more biodegradable options.
“In working with Green Eyes, I noticed young people’s excellent understanding and awareness. They have early access to technology and digital transformation, so they are knowledgeable about communication methods and have many creative ideas. This shows the important role of the youth not only in current actions, but also as responsible generations who will educate and lead future generations,” he shared.
However, he also frankly acknowledged that alongside positive aspects, some Gen Z youths still lack clear goals. He hopes that through responsible environmental action groups like Green Eyes, their awareness will improve positively.
Referring to images and information widely shared on social media about the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification, Thang said young people are still very much interested in historical topics and are proud of the nation’s history and heroes.
The difference today is how to present history and culture to the young in new ways that they find appealing. The same principle applies to environmental education — young people now create many meaningful initiatives and activities in the fields of green economy, circular economy, and environmental protection.
What is essential, according to Thang, is respect, listening, and placing the youth at the centre of environmental protection efforts, and to give commendation to encourage them further.
Groups like Green Eyes deserve respect because they sow green ideas and responsibility, which gradually spread through society, he added.
The official said he hopes that in the future, projects like the Youth for the Environment will be scaled up nationwide.
“Environmental issues exist every day and everywhere but often go unnoticed. Climate change has now become a reality with many serious consequences, and awareness and behaviour changes are required for a more sustainable future. I hope the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation will continue expanding its activities nationwide to foster more green initiatives and help the country’s environment become ever more beautiful,” Thang emphasised.
Through statements from the agriculture official and the project members, it is obvious that the VSF has fulfilled its mission of supporting sustainable development. It has helped raise awareness among businesses and society, contributing to the Government’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
This instils confidence in the success of green transition in Vietnam, built on the Party and State's leadership, social responsibility, and the dynamism of social organisations in the face of current challenges./.
Nurturing children's physical, mental strength for better future
In addition to improving infrastructure and enhancing professional training for teachers to provide better education for students in disadvantaged areas, the For Vietnamese Stature Foundation also pays special attention to talented students and those from difficult backgrounds who strive to succeed in their studies and life, through the “Talent Nurturing Programme.”
