The spirit of volunteerism shines brightly forever.

Born amidst the flames of war, the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force (TNXP) has always upheld the spirit of patriotism, unafraid of hardship and sacrifice, and readily dedicating itself to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Inheriting this glorious tradition, former TNXP members in Can Tho City continue to pass on the flame of patriotism to the younger generation through traditional talks and exchanges with historical witnesses. Through these activities, they continue to inspire and instill in the younger generation a sense of pride and a desire to contribute their youthful energy to building their homeland and country.

Students from Chau Van Liem Secondary School (O Mon Ward) participate in a traditional activity to learn about the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force in April 2025. Photo: Q. THAI

Traditional education for the younger generation

At the ceremony commemorating the 74th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's gift of poetry to the Vietnamese Youth Volunteers (March 28, 1951 - March 28, 2025), Mr. Tran Quoc Pham, Chairman of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Can Tho City (formerly), recalled the historical significance of the day President Ho Chi Minh gifted poetry to the Vietnamese Youth Volunteers. On March 28, 1951, while inspecting traffic management for the campaign in the Viet Bac war zone, President Ho Chi Minh visited the 312th Youth Volunteer Brigade. There, he spoke cordially, offered advice, and presented the Youth Volunteers with four lines of poetry: “Nothing is difficult / Only fear of a lack of perseverance / Digging mountains and filling seas / With determination, success will be achieved.” These four lines of poetry by President Ho Chi Minh are a teaching, an acknowledgment, and a profound expression of the Party's and President Ho Chi Minh's trust and affection for the Youth Volunteers and the younger generation of the entire country. Soon after, Uncle Ho's poetry was deeply ingrained in the Youth Volunteer Force, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the armed forces, undeterred by hardship, serving the resistance war and directly participating in combat, contributing to the cause of national liberation and nation-building.

According to Mr. Tran Quoc Pham, more than 650,000 people participated in the Youth Volunteer Force, bravely opening roads, serving in combat, and directly fighting the enemy on battlefields and key areas. In the North, there was the "Three Ready" movement, and in the South, the "Five Volunteer" movement; the Youth Volunteer Force contributed to the cause of national liberation and nation-building. Following Uncle Ho's instructions, former Youth Volunteers in the city are stepping up propaganda and mobilizing members to actively participate in patriotic emulation movements. Notably, they are coordinating with the City Youth Union to organize activities to educate young people about revolutionary traditions through various forms: seminars, exchanges with historical witnesses, and journeys to historical sites.

Nguyen Hoang Vien, Secretary of the Youth Union of Can Tho University of Technology, said: "On every holiday and anniversary, the Youth Union organizes visits and presents gifts to former Youth Volunteers so that students understand the role, significance, and revolutionary movements of young people during the resistance war against foreign invaders and the period of national reconstruction."

Ms. Le Hong Dao, a former Youth Volunteer in Cai Khe ward, is a familiar face to students at Can Tho University of Technology. Joining the Youth Volunteer Force in 1965, she not only enthusiastically volunteered to defend the Fatherland but also gathered 36 young volunteers to go to the Southeast battlefield, joining the Youth Volunteer Force with tasks such as transporting ammunition, building roads, and sometimes engaging in direct combat with the enemy. “I want young people to understand and be more proud of the patriotic traditions of the nation in general, the spirit of volunteerism and readiness to defend the Fatherland even at the cost of losses and sacrifices made by previous generations of Youth Volunteers,” Ms. Dao shared.

Currently, the Association of Former Youth Volunteers of Can Tho City (formerly) is arranging and finalizing a plan to merge the Associations of Former Youth Volunteers of Soc Trang and Hau Giang provinces (formerly) in accordance with the Party's policy. After consolidating the organizational structure, the Associations at all levels will strengthen and expand the gathering of former youth volunteer members, promoting their role as historical witnesses to coordinate with the Youth Union to better educate the younger generation about revolutionary traditions.

Volunteer for the community.

Towards the 75th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnamese Youth Volunteer Force (July 15, 1950 - July 15, 2025), which is also the peak of the Youth Volunteer Campaign launched by the youth of Can Tho City, the pioneering spirit of the Youth Volunteer Force is being further enhanced and spread by the younger generation through practical projects and activities for the benefit of the community. A prime example is the Youth Union of Nam Can Tho University, which from 2022 to the present has implemented more than 1,030 youth projects and activities; conducted 436 scientific research projects among students; and organized 9 programs to visit historical sites and educate young people about historical traditions. A highlight is the continued innovation of the youth volunteer movement, focusing on former revolutionary bases, border regions, and islands.

According to Pham Vi Khanh, Deputy Secretary of the Youth Union of Nam Can Tho University, the volunteer team for the homeland's seas and islands this summer was deployed in the Tho Chau Special Zone (An Giang province) from July 5th to 12th. The team carried out many activities: visiting and giving gifts to families of policy beneficiaries, implementing the "Lighting up the homeland's seas and islands" project, guiding people in digital transformation, registering accounts for online public services and digital applications in response to the "Digital Literacy Movement".

Besides the "front" in the Tho Chau Special Zone, the Youth Union of Nam Can Tho University also implemented summer volunteer activities in 19 other "fronts" in provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region and Dak Lak province, with more than 600 student volunteers participating. The activities focused on contributing to the development of urban and rural civilization; social welfare activities, with an emphasis on gratitude and repayment movements, caring for ethnic minorities and families in difficult circumstances, and building beneficial summer playgrounds for children.

Students from Nam Can Tho University volunteer to repair roads in the Tho Chau special zone, An Giang province. Photo: Contributor.

In localities and units, young people are the vanguard force carrying out many good deeds, leading the way in socio-economic development and in the field of science and technology, linked to the city's political tasks. Le Trung Hieu, Secretary of the Ninh Kieu Ward Youth Union, said: “Right after the two-tiered government system came into operation, the Ward Youth Union established a volunteer youth team to support people in accessing online public services; advising and guiding them through administrative procedures; and installing digital applications such as electronic payments, VNeID, and other digital platforms.” At the same time, in 103 communes and wards across the city, volunteer youth teams simultaneously launched to support the operation of the two-tiered government system. Young people were assigned to work during office hours at the Administrative Service and Digital Transformation Center, contributing to building e-government and moving towards digital government.

With a spirit of enthusiasm and volunteerism, the city's youth have launched 10 teams to participate in the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign in provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta, Dak Lak, and the two islands of Tho Chu and Hon Chuoi, with over 30,000 young people participating. The campaign, running from now until the end of August 2025, focuses on social welfare activities, volunteering to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas. In particular, the "Digital Literacy Campaign" is being widely implemented, with activities guiding people on digital transformation, safe social media use, and basic office software. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, emphasized that the campaign is being organized in the context of Vietnam's accelerated digital transformation and rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, placing increasingly higher demands on young people. Therefore, organizing this campaign effectively is of great significance in training and nurturing the ideology, ethics, life skills, and spirit of dedication of the younger generation.

In the coming period, the Youth Union at all levels will continue to coordinate with the City's Association of Former Youth Volunteers to promote traditional education activities so that the younger generation understands and is proud of the revolutionary traditions of their forefathers, thereby confidently and steadfastly moving forward, ready to volunteer and contribute to building a more developed city.

QUOC THAI

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/sang-mai-tinh-than-xung-phong-a188503.html