HCM City’s summer youth volunteers organise fun outdoor games for children in outlying Củ Chi District. — Photo plo.vn

HCM CITY — The HCM City summer youth volunteer campaign this year has provided a number of activities to care for children in all 24 districts, with total mobilised capital of nearly VNĐ1 billion (US$43,150).

From July 27 to August 16, the 36-day campaign includes five programmes: Hoa Phượng Đỏ (Red Phoenix Flower), Kỳ nghỉ hồng (Pink Vacation), Hành quân xanh (Young soldiers join social voluntary works), Tiếp Sức Mùa Thi (Assistance for candidates in the national high school graduation examination) and Mùa Hè Xanh (Green Summer).

It has attracted the participation of nearly 400,000 young people, including students, soldiers, teachers, doctors, artists and young intellectuals.

In Cần Giờ District, volunteers repaired and repainted a children's playground at the cultural house in Lý Hòa Hiệp Hamlet, and began construction of a new house for a local youth union member in difficult circumstances.

They also offered guidance to local young people on physical training and personal hygiene to enhance the body's resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hand-washing sinks were installed at An Nghĩa Primary School and Doi Lầu Secondary School in the district.

The volunteer doctors provided health counseling, free dental examinations and medical checks for 500 children at the cultural centre in Hóc Môn District.

About 5,000 notebooks were presented to local children, and a reading space and playgrounds were organised for them.

Disadvantaged children received 10 Nụ cười hồng (Pink Smile) scholarships worth VNĐ5 million ($215) each, 30 scholarships each worth VNĐ800,000 ($35), and learning tools.

Many summer activities for kids were also organised in Bình Thạnh’s 20 wards such as science programmes and painting contests.

Free dental and eye exams were offered for local children. The children were also trained in self-defence skills, fire escape skills, and drowning prevention and water safety skills.

A programme called "Exchanging old things for new ones" was organised to exchange old books, newspapers and plastic bottles for new things.

Children with disabilities in difficult circumstances in the district received gifts. Scholarships worth VNĐ18 million ($775) each were awarded to 15 disadvantaged students with good academic results in the previous school year.

The amount was funded by donors through an online charity walk held by the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU).

Achievements

Phan Thị Thanh Phương, secretary of the HCYU, said though the summer youth volunteer campaign lasts a short time, volunteers can still make meaningful contributions and spread kindness in society.

“Each volunteer has wonderful experiences for personal growth,” she said.

She said the programmes had been reduced in scale due to the pandemic. All activities fully implemented pandemic prevention measures while ensuring safety for the participants.

The campaign has exceeded the assigned targets.

All youth unions at the grassroots level organised “Volunteer Saturday” and “Green Sunday”, ensuring urban order and security. And nearly 20,000 union members have received career consultancy and job introductions.

This year the HCYU’s charity walk programme was organised online for the first time via MoMo e-wallet, attracting 75,000 people. It raised nearly VNĐ7.2 billion ($310,650) for the union’s scholarship fund.

The volunteers renovated 162 alleys, upgraded nearly 46,000 km of roads, built and repaired 155 gratitude houses and 22 rural bridges, and dredged and collected 34 tonnes of rubbish from 72 polluted canals and channels.

They disseminated information about traffic safety laws, and set up young teams to ensure traffic safety, order and security on the major roads in the city.

Nearly VNĐ6 billion ($258,900) was mobilised from various sources to give gifts to more than 30,000 disadvantaged people and children.

More than VNĐ4 billion ($172,600) was used to care for Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, wounded and sick soldiers, martyrs’ families, families who are beneficiaries of state policies, and soldiers’ families working in border areas and islands.

About 1,000 scholarships worth VNĐ1 billion were awarded to young people for vocational training.

Forty-five young people were provided a total of more than VNĐ2.2 billion ($95,000) to do business.

Some 35.000 people received free health check-ups and medicine while volunteers donated 13,500 units of blood.

Nearly 73,000 candidates were provided free transport, learning tools and medical support during the National High School Graduation Examination 2020.

Lê Hồng Quang, a fourth-year student at the HCM City University of Foreign Languages and Informatics, who participated in the Green Summer programme, said he joined in building rural roads, dredging ditches and sewer gates, and teaching children in difficult circumstances.

“Through practical activities, I want to contribute meaningful work to help the disadvantaged living in suburban areas in the city as well as the southern provinces,” he said.

Volunteer Đỗ Quốc Thái from Saigon Pharmaceutical One Member Limited Liability Company said he showed people how to maintain hygiene and protect themselves during the pandemic.

“This year’s campaign left unforgettable impressions in my mind as the activities took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

Volunteer medical teams served the public and were not afraid of the potential dangers, he said. — VNS