2010 Green Summer Voluntary Campaign: A meaningful summer

A bridge built by voluntary students helps local residents travel easily

The 2010 Green Summer Voluntary Campaign with the theme “Voluntary youth together with poor communes overcome poverty” attracted more than 6,000 young volunteers from 20 universities, colleges, vocational high schools and armed forces based in Dong Nai. The campaign launched by the Standing Committee of HCM Communist Youth Union of Dong Nai took place from May 31 to August 15. There were 182 teams of young volunteers at localities with more than 3,000 members. The voluntary youth campaign has received a lot of help from local military units. The Standing Committee of the Youth Union in schools consecutively held the launching ceremony of volunraty campaigns with the participants of 311 young volunteers who joined activities in 10 poor communes in the deep-lying, remote areas.

Handling gifts to policy beneficiary families

The young voluntary force joined hands with HCM Communist Youth Union at grassroots level and other units in localities to organize various activities such as: improving the rural road network, building compassionate houses, teaching informatics and foreign languages and providing free healthcare services for poor people, transferring advanced agricultural technologies to local residents, etc. These social activites are very practical and meaningful for local residents. Moreover, the young volunteers also disseminated the meaning of voluntary activities so that local young volunteers can whole-heartedly participate in summer campaigns, maintaining a strong attachment to local young volunteers.

The launching ceremony of summer voluntary campaign

          In particular, young volunteers visited and handled over 1,500 gifts to policy beneficiary families, building 5 compassion houses worth over VND100 million, upgrading 11 compassion and gratitude houses, granting 50 personal computers to units at grassroots level, collecting 7 tons of wastes and garbage, dredging 88km of sewers and gutters, upgrading 158 km of rural traffic road, and planting 1,500 green trees. In addition, volunteers also donated 797 units of blood, providing free-of-charge medical check-ups and medicines with a total cost of more than VND200 million; presenting 2,250 gifts, 150 scholarships, 10,000 notebooks, and 17 bicycles, etc. to poor students in remote areas.

Presenting bicycles to the poor children

          Furthermore, young volunteers participated in helping candidates during examination season; disseminating information on traffic safety and environmental protection; enhancing the tasks of the Youth Union, and organizing culture activities, teaching informatics and foreign languages for poor children, etc.

Offering personal computers to the youth union at grassroots level at the launching ceremony of summer voluntary campaign 2010

However, the Steering Committee of the provincial green summer voluntary campaign said that the voluntary campaign this year still faced some shortcomings. Some voluntary units did not actively deployed voluntary activities at localities as well as have not yet mobilized the participation of local young volunteers. Besides, the assignment and preparation tasks for the activities in some voluntary units were not considerable enough.

In short, joining various meaningful activities in summer, enthusiastic young volunteers not only enjoy an unforgettable summer but also bring happiness for local residents in remote areas.

Reported by Thuy Lien, Translated by Minh Minh