Hanoi (VNA) – Tens of millions of young Vietnamese people have participated in meaningful voluntary activities across the country in March, designated as the Youth Month by the Government in 2004.
This year, the Youth Month marks its 20th anniversary. It has become a nationwide event not only for the young, but also people from all walks of life and age groups, who have joined hands in giving a facelift to rural and urban areas, improving economic, social, and cultural aspects of multiple localities, and boosting the development of many mountainous, maritime, and border areas to help safeguard national security, sovereignty, territory, and borders.
Talking about the Youth Month 2024, Nguyen Ngoc Luong, Permanent Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee and President of the Vietnam Youth Federation (VYF), said a wide range of voluntary youth activities have taken place at home and abroad, both in person and via online platforms. Others caring for and supporting the youth have also been held nationwide.
Data from the VYF show that in less than a month, more than 14,000 voluntary groups have implemented over 8,000 youth works. Youth volunteers have given assistance to over 1,000 localities home to ethnic minority groups and delivered support to over 42,000 people. HCYU units have carried out more than 5,000 voluntary activities on developing countryside, 6,000 others on building civilised urban areas, 6,000 on environmental protection and climate change response, 4,000 on traffic safety, and another 8,000 helping with social security.
The Youth Month is an environment for young people to fuel their enthusiasm for making self-improvement and dedication, show the readiness to brave hardships, and voluntarily get involved in difficult and new tasks and come to rural, remote, border, and maritime areas, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue said on February 25.
Meaningful voluntary activities of young Vietnamese are not limited to the Youth Month. In any time and even in the most disadvantaged areas, they always voluntarily take on new and challenging tasks, pioneer in applying science and technology, and take the lead in building a learning society, thus contributing to the country’s industrialisation, modernisation, integration into the world, along with national development and safeguarding.
To those born in wartime, such movements as “Voluntary Youth”, “Creative Youth”, and “The youth pioneer in defending the Fatherland” formed an unforgettable part of life of millions of people who engaged in and considerably contributed to the struggle for national liberation and the defence – security safeguarding.
After wartime, millions of young people have also played an active part in eradicating illiteracy, reducing poverty, building new-style countryside and civilised urban areas, expressing gratitude to revolution contributors, and protecting the environment. Youth volunteers have also thrown themselves into disaster-hit places to deliver relief to victims.
In particular, amid complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – 2021, millions of youth volunteers effectively participated in the disease combat and provided support for people, especially pandemic-hit children.
Imprint of voluntary activities
When it comes to voluntary youth activities, the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign is a noteworthy drive that was officially launched in 2000, which was chosen as the Youth Year by the Party and State.
As its name goes, the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign has become a demonstration of young Vietnamese people’s creativity and readiness to assume new and difficult tasks for the sake of the community and the whole nation. It also suggested a new form of voluntary activities inspiring and attracting a large number of young people for the last more than 20 years.
The campaign’s positive values have proved a strong ripple effect on not only the youth. More and more forces in society, people, and even youngsters from other countries have also supported and taken part in voluntary activities in various Vietnamese localities.
“With all the vibrant activities held across all corners of the country, the Youth Month has truly brightened up the image of the Vietnamese youth in the new era who are strong and full of enthusiasm, and also win the Party and State’s trust as well as people’s love.“
Hoang Binh Quan, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, and former First Secretary of the HCYU Central Committee
Thanks to the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign and other voluntary drives, young people have also gained conditions for self-improvement, mature, and dedicate to socio-economic development and defence – security safeguarding, thereby building up the image of the Vietnamese youth who have a pure heart, brilliant wisdom, big ambitions, and strong patriotism.
Dr. Huynh Trung Phong, who was granted a number of merit certificates for his devotion to voluntary activities, said community supporting activities have helped him mature, especially in terms of solving problems, making decisions, balancing emotions, improving patience, and overcoming challenges.
“We went to remote areas to assist local residents, especially small children and students. There were times we had to travel throughout the night between places to reach the next destination in time in the following early morning, or have a quick meal while busily preparing for activities all day long…”
Huynh Trung Phong
At the 12th HCYU National Congress for the 2022 – 2027 tenure, held in December 2022, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong appreciated contributions by the Vietnamese youth and called on younger generations nationwide to keep doing the most meaningful activities for the sake of the country and society.
“Like trees that only sprout in the spring, people wishing to create a meaningful career for themselves and the society also need to start from their youth.”
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong
