The 2nd Engineering Battalion prepares to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Abyei.

Báo Tin Tức•08/02/2024

According to information from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department ( Ministry of National Defence ), in order to create a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere for all officers and staff of the Vietnam Engineering Team in preparation for the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024, the Vietnam Engineering Team No. 2 organized many meaningful and practical activities, thereby contributing to building solidarity among United Nations peacekeeping units at the UNISFA mission as well as the people of the Abyei region.

Photo caption — *Vietnamese peacekeeping forces depart from Noi Bai International Airport ( Hanoi ) to carry out their UN mission at UNISFA. Photo (archive): An Dang/VNA*

Major Nguyen Mau Vu, Political Officer of the Engineering Team, said that from the very first days of arriving at the UNISFA mission, the Party Committee and the team's command had determined a plan to organize activities on holidays and festivals, with celebrating the traditional Lunar New Year being one of the key contents to create a warm and joyful atmosphere for all officers and staff in the team. Especially, starting in 2024, the Lunar New Year has been recognized by the United Nations as an official public holiday, which is a very meaningful milestone for us green beret soldiers, a force that regularly celebrates the Lunar New Year far from our homeland. Therefore, during the Lunar New Year of the Dragon 2024, the 2nd Engineering Team developed a specific and detailed plan for each activity, such as a competition for wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), a competition for decorating rooms to welcome the New Year for the platoons, planting New Year's trees, organizing folk games, and a cooking competition… These are extremely meaningful activities during the Lunar New Year, contributing to helping the green beret soldiers of the Engineering Team celebrate the New Year more fully with their comrades and colleagues far from their homeland while on duty at the mission, where they have no family or loved ones. “We have completed decorating the spring-themed room, preparing peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, ornamental plants, wrapping banh chung (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), practicing cultural performances, and are ready to welcome a joyful, united, and warm Tet holiday alongside our international friends whom we have invited to celebrate this Tet. While preparing for Tet, the entire team is not neglecting the task of organizing training exercises to protect the security and safety of the base in the context of the complex and unpredictable situation in the Abyei area,” Major Nguyen Mau Vu shared. Due to cultural differences and the lack of materials for wrapping banh chung and making decorations, the Command of the Vietnamese Engineering Team instructed officers and staff on leave in Vietnam to purchase essential supplies for the Lunar New Year such as decorations, sweets, banana leaves, sticky rice, etc. Immediately after the items were delivered to the base of the Vietnamese Engineering Team, the Command organized a banh chung wrapping competition among the platoons. The neatly square glutinous rice cakes were wrapped very quickly by the combat engineers, who were used to driving bulldozers and excavators every day, in an average of less than 3 minutes per cake. While waiting for Tet decorations to be shipped from Vietnam, the Engineering Team utilized reusable materials to decorate the living room and common areas of the platoons. Branches from African forests were repurposed by the Vietnamese soldiers, "transformed" into peach and apricot blossom trees for Tet.

In addition, the Engineering Corps also organized a volleyball match with the local people of Abyei and invited some Nigerian soldiers to act as referees. After the match, the Corps presented the locals with gifts and invited them to enjoy traditional Vietnamese dishes. This was a meaningful activity, boosting the morale of the Vietnamese blue beret soldiers after a period of working far from their families and homeland, while also contributing to promoting Vietnamese culture and people. At the same time, the entire team's officers and staff completed the reinforcement and installation of the stage and Tet decorations at the Command Headquarters' flag-raising area to organize cultural and artistic activities as well as folk games such as tug-of-war, blindfolded goat catching, water balloon popping, stick pushing, etc. “On the occasion of Tet, on behalf of the officers and staff of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Engineering Team, I would like to send my best wishes to all compatriots throughout the country and Vietnamese people abroad for a new year full of health, joy, happiness, and good fortune. Happy New Year!”, Major Nguyen Mau Vu shared.

VNA/News Agency

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