Three Lao students (centre) with their host mother (left) together cook bánh xèo (sizzling pancake) in their kitchen in Lê Trọng Tấn Street, Đà Nẵng City’s Thanh Khê District. — Photo chinhphu.vn

ĐÀ NẴNG — Xaisomphou Khaikeo, a Lao student of Duy Tân University, is helping her Vietnamese host mother Trần Thị Lan Thành to make bánh xèo (sizzling pancake) in a house on Lê Trọng Tấn Street, Đà Nẵng City’s Thanh Khê District.

Khaikeo and two other Lao students studying at universities in Đà Nẵng have stayed at Thành’s house for a week under a homestay programme – an annual programme co-organised by the Việt Nam – Laos Friendship Association and the Consulate General of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in the city.

Under the programme, Lao students will stay with Vietnamese families for two weeks to learn about Vietnamese customs, dishes and habits in order to nurture and develop close relations between the people of Việt Nam and Laos.

Khaikeo said she knew how to cook many Vietnamese dishes after living with her host mother and father in several days.

“Coming to Việt Nam to study and spending time with Vietnamese families is really meaningful for me,” she said.

Through the programme, Lao students felt the warm affection of Vietnamese people and gained a deeper understanding of Vietnamese customs and traditions, she added.

During the days spent with her host parents, she was taken to visit neighbours and given a Vietnamese áo dài (traditional long dress) as a gift, as reported by the Government News.

Thành, the host mother, said that her family had no daughters, so she was very happy to participate in the programme to adopt Lao female students to live with her family for two weeks.

"I consider the girls as members of my family. Every day we prepare meals, eat and talk together,” she said.

Thành said her father was a soldier, who fought in Laos in the past. Her father was wholeheartedly cared for by a Lao host mother when he was sick and had malaria.

“That's why my feelings for the Lao people are very strong,” she said.

This was the second time she has adopted Lao students from the programme. Last year, when she heard about the programme, she immediately signed up.

“I feel like this is life giving me a chance to repay my debt of gratitude to Laos,” she said.

Second family

This year's programme is launched in Đà Nẵng City in November. — Photo chinhphu.vn

The programme has been operated since 2011 for Lao students studying at universities in the city. About 100 Lao students participate in the programme every year in the city.

Through the programme, many relationships between Vietnamese and Lao parents and children, brother and sister have been formed, nurturing and developing close relations between the people of the two countries.

Depending on the host parents' conditions, each Lao student will be assigned a separate room for personal activities and use common space with the family.

Living with the host family, the students can learn about the culture, customs, traditions and life of Vietnamese people, and at the same time share Lao culture and customs with Vietnamese families. At the end of the programme, the students will return to the university dormitory.

Under this year’s programme, up to 148 Lao students participated and stayed with Vietnamese families in the city between November 26 to December 10.

Hồ Kỳ Minh, standing Deputy Chairman of the city's People's Committee, said that the programme was a practical and important activity, helping Lao students to hone their Vietnamese communication skills as well as integrate into Vietnamese life, thereby strengthening the friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Việt Nam and Laos.

This would be an extremely valuable and meaningful time for the students, Minh said.

“The students will have a second family during their time studying in the city and even after returning to their country, the feeling of that special family will forever follow them throughout their lives,” he said.

As a bridge to promote development cooperation, the city’s Union of Friendship Organisations and the Việt Nam - Laos Friendship Association have mobilised tens of billions of đồng in scholarships for Lao students at local universities; and maintained cooperation and understanding with seven Lao localities of Vientiane, Xayaburi, Savannakhet, Champassak, Sekong, Salavan and Attapeu.

During the period of 2023-27, the city will continue to maintain the scholarship programme for Lao officials and students, and deploy a Vietnamese language teaching cooperation programme, also providing equipment support for Vietnamese language centres in five provinces of Laos. — VNS