Volunteer activities foster solidarity between Vietnam and Laos.

Over the years, volunteer activities by young people from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Nam , etc., have been implemented in many localities of our neighboring country, Laos. These practical and effective activities have contributed to fostering the friendship between Vietnam and Laos.

Vibrant volunteer activities

The computer lab at Attapư Ethnic Boarding High School in Samakkhixay District, Attapư Province, Laos, is bustling with students in the early days of the school year. Young boys and girls are busy typing away on keyboards. Thanks to these internet-connected computers, the students of Attapư Ethnic Boarding High School have been able to connect with the world , expand their knowledge, and access a wealth of information, including stories and videos about Vietnam-Laos relations, exploring Vietnam, and teaching Vietnamese. These computers have become companions, supporting local students in their computer skills and Vietnamese-Lao bilingual studies, creating a healthy and beneficial learning environment with profound humanistic significance. The computer lab, consisting of 10 computers worth 120 million VND, was a gift from the Ho Chi Minh City Police Youth Union during their June 2023 summer volunteer trip to the teachers and students of Attapư Ethnic Boarding High School.

Ho Chi Minh City provides computers to Lao students. Photo: Tan Nghiep

Not only young people from Ho Chi Minh City, but also in 2023, young people from Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, Binh Dinh, and Quang Tri provinces organized many volunteer groups to help the people of Laos. In Champasak and Attapeu provinces, Laos, the Ho Chi Minh City volunteer group organized medical check-ups for 5,000 people and children, shared experiences in COVID-19 screening, and organized workshops to share experiences and expertise in the health sector. In the agricultural sector, the group focused on solutions for people to develop private agricultural economies at home and in households; provided training and technical guidance, and transferred some agricultural models to the people of Laos. The group also built a children's library to help the children of Vietnamese expatriates, and the Association of Vietnamese People in Laos fulfilled its mission of maintaining the Vietnamese language for Vietnamese children. At the same time, the delegation presented a "Vietnam-Laos Youth Friendship House," a foot-operated handwashing station designed, implemented, and operated by the city's youth during the Covid-19 pandemic, repaired the lighting system, shared learning models and experiences in youth union work, and shared software to help students organize online exams during the pandemic. In Savannakhet province, the Quang Tri Provincial Volunteer Delegation donated 200 gift packages to people and students in Sepon district; donated medical equipment for examination and treatment to the Sepon District Health Center; and organized free medical examinations and dispensed medicine to nearly 1,500 people and children... with a total program cost of 250 million VND. In Sekong province, the Quang Nam Provincial Youth Union volunteer team donated one laptop, 10 solar-powered lamps, 100 green pomelo trees, and 30 gift packages to the Sekong Provincial Youth Union officials. The Phu Ninh, Nam Giang, Tay Giang District Youth Unions and the Tam Ky City Youth Union also presented gifts to their sister units in Laos. In addition, the volunteer team donated 50 gift packages to people in difficult circumstances; organized free medical examinations and dispensed free medicine to 250 people; and conducted training on fruit tree cultivation techniques for young people and residents in Ka Lum district. In Bolikhamsai and Khammouane provinces, the Ha Tinh volunteer team provided free health check-ups, consultations, and medicine to over 1,100 people; donated 400 health care kits to ethnic minority boarding students; awarded 60 scholarships to underprivileged students; and donated four laptops to the Provincial Youth Union offices of the two provinces. Providing support for 200 saplings, transferring scientific and technical knowledge to youth economic models; constructing and handing over youth projects and other social welfare activities with a total budget of nearly 300 million VND.

The Quang Tri Provincial Volunteer Team organized free medical examinations and dispensed free medicine to nearly 1,500 people and children in Se Pon District... Photo: To Trinh

Practical and effective

In every volunteer project and task undertaken in Laos, the young volunteers from Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, and Ha Tinh provinces carried out their work with dedication and responsibility, overcoming all difficulties to bring joy and meaning to the children and people of the Champa region. Four months after returning to Vietnam from his volunteer trip to Laos, Mr. Ho Quoc Thanh from the Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital still remembers those days filled with cherished memories. During his two weeks in Laos , Mr. Thanh had the opportunity to make new friends. They were doctors and nurses from various hospitals in Laos, each with different positions and specialties. But upon arriving here, they all worked together seamlessly and effectively. "Together with my colleagues, I have carried out many tasks: providing free medical examinations, treatment, and medicine to nearly 2,500 poor people in Attapư province; organizing games for children; assisting in repainting classrooms at the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Primary School; constructing an indoor playground for kindergarten children; and packaging and distributing medicine... working from 4-5 am to 10 pm, but for the sake of the children, we always strive. We are truly happy to serve the people of both countries." Ms. Tran Thi Thu, Secretary of the Quang Tri Provincial Youth Union, affirmed: the Vietnamese and Lao people have a long-standing tradition of solidarity and close ties. With that fine tradition, the youth of Quang Tri will continue to promote their feelings and responsibilities in preserving and fostering lasting friendship and solidarity in many aspects; and will be at the forefront in fulfilling the task of international solidarity. Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Chung from Ha Tinh Provincial General Hospital shared: “The long journey made the trip even more meaningful, making us feel that our work is truly necessary for the poor people in Laos. The trip was also an opportunity for the youth union members to gain more information, understand more about the culture and people of our neighboring country, and about the Vietnam-Laos relationship.”