Vietnamese people in Australia always look towards their homeland's sea and islands.

Along with Vietnamese people all over the world , our overseas Vietnamese in Australia always think of their homeland and country, especially Hoang Sa, Truong Sa and the children in the mountains.

Former VicePresident Truong My Hoa speaks at a meeting with overseas Vietnamese in Australia on July 5.

This year, after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, former Vice President Truong My Hoa, President of the Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund and Head of the "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa" Club continued her volunteer journey to promote the meaningful activities of the Fund and the Club in Australia.

In Canberra on July 5, the former Vice President visited the Embassy, ​​and together with Fund and Club staff, met with many representatives of overseas Vietnamese.

After watching valuable footage of the activities of the Fund and the Club in Truong Sa and DK1 Platform, the overseas Vietnamese and Embassy staff were shared by the former Vice President about the humanitarian activities of the Fund and the Club to help children, not only during their time living on remote islands, but also when they return to the mainland, as well as helping many ethnic minority children to have a proper education.

Former Vice President Truong My Hoa said that in 2012, Vietnamese expatriates in Australia were the first to contribute to the program “For beloved Truong Sa students”. This was the source that helped to ignite a large movement of “nurturing the future”, “giving wings to dreams”… throughout localities in the country as well as the Vietnamese community abroad.

After 24 years of operation, more than 125,000 Vu A Dinh scholarships have been awarded to ethnic minority students, children of navy soldiers, coast guard, fisheries inspectors, border guards, and fishermen who have overcome difficulties to study well across the country.

From a few hundred initial scholarships for students in ethnic boarding schools, there are now 8,000 scholarships, including 5,000 for ethnic minority children and 3,000 for children of fishermen and soldiers on duty in the sea and islands. The Vu A Dinh Scholarship Fund has become a close companion, a trusted friend of students in the sea and mountainous areas across the country.

In August 2014, the Club “For Beloved Hoang Sa-Truong Sa” was established to connect aspirations and hearts towards Hoang Sa and Truong Sa. After nearly 9 years of operation, the Club has attracted 3,692 individual members, 142 group members, including 16 units in Australia. The Club “For Beloved Hoang Sa-Truong Sa” has become a bridge to bring to the islands messages of love from the mainland as well as from distant lands in the world.

Delegates take souvenir photos.

Overseas Vietnamese representatives and Embassy officials expressed their emotion and deep appreciation for the practical and tireless contributions of the Fund and the Club to the cause ofeducation and the journey of connecting the sea and islands with the mainland. Ambassador Nguyen Tat Thanh also emphasized the great contributions of former Vice President Truong My Hoa in different positions to the Vietnam-Australia friendship over the years.

On this occasion, the Embassy staff presented former Vice President Truong My Hoa with the poem "Heart's Command", which includes the following passage:

"Asking age, age advises to stop

Ask your heart, your heart says: just volunteer!”

Dear Hoang Sa - Truong Sa,

Together we keep our fatherland.

As long as I live, I will devote myself to charity,

Still love, still want the water to turn into a dragon...

Together with overseas Vietnamese and staff of the Consulate General in Sydney, the meeting attendees contributed more than 7,000 AUD to the Scholarship Fund and Club. Many people and staff of the Embassy and Consulate General registered to join the Club "For Beloved Hoang Sa - Truong Sa".

The delegation will also visit several localities in Australia in the coming days.

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