HCM CITY — Some 200 young academics, professionals and individuals have volunteered for community programmes organised by the HCM City unit of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union, benefiting more than 13,150 people in the city and its neighbouring provinces.

The union on Thursday held a conference to review the activities organised under its “9th voluntary programme for young intellectuals”.

It had been implemented between February and November this year, contributing to the national new-style rural model programme.

Thirteen teams undertook 50 projects, which involved technology transfer, consultancy and facilitating scientific activities.

They were in five main areas: developing the new-style rural model, environmental protection and response to climate change threats, facilitating scientific activities, supporting rural and mountainous areas, and building a civilised urban society and improving the quality of people’s life.

It included providing around 500 households in districts like Củ Chi, Nhà Bè, Hóc Môn, Bình Chánh, and Cần Giờ, and District 2 with training in and technical support for growing orchids, mushroom, honeydew melon, and safe vegetables, breeding ornamental fish and cows and aquaculture.

There were 27 classes where 5,500 students across the city learnt about the environment, robotics, logical thinking, art, physics, chemistry, and biology.

In July-August some 40 of the volunteers undertook activities in Đăk Nông Province’s Đăk Glong District.

They included offering free medical check-ups, installing water filters for students, giving gifts to 700 disadvantaged people, and donating 20 computers to local offices.

All this cost VNĐ500 million (US$21,535).

Võ Minh Thành, a university lecturer and secretary of the youth union unit at the HCM City University of Education, said there are still few volunteers because many localities still do not fully understand the significance of the programme and do not co-operate with the youth union.

“It needs improved propaganda and communication to attract more young intellectuals.”

The programme should do a survey of the current needs of each locality and then call for volunteers in each area of expertise required.

Lê Văn Sony, secretary of the youth union unit at the HCM City Agriculture and Forestry University, said his university’s volunteers included 25 professors and lecturers aged 25-35, and they assisted with developing the new rural development model in the city.

The programme helped the young academics enhance their own knowledge and also help people improve their productivity and efficiency, he said.

“Effective production models need to be replicated in other localities with similar conditions.”

The city’s suburban districts should link up with universities, colleges and vocational schools through long-term projects, enabling the latter to use their specific strengths to help effectively, he added. — VNS