Nearly 70 million youngsters join Summer volunteer campaign in last 20 years

ABO/NDO – In the last two decades, nearly 70 million young people have volunteered to participate in the Summer youth volunteer campaign launched by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU).

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the ceremony. (Photo: VGP)

The figure was announced at a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the campaign, held in Ho Chi Minh City on August 17.

In 2000, youths in schools across the country launched a series of activities under the "Students’ summer volunteer campaign for the community" in response to a call from the HCMCYU. In 2009, the campaign changed its name to "Summer youth volunteer campaign” and has been held regularly to date.

Over the past 20 years, the campaign carried out 672,724 youth works at all levels with a total value of over VND3.9 trillion. Since 2000, there have been 287,190 km of rural roads repaired and renewed with a total capital of VND1.4 trillion. The volunteer youth teams helped build 67,431 houses and repair 182,279 others with a total value of over VND955 billion.

They also supported over 4.7 million children in difficult circumstances, as well as repaired and built more than 200,000 playgrounds for children, embellished 44,805 martyrs' cemeteries, and helped 1.1 million policy families with a total value of over VND327 billion.

The international volunteer teams under the campaign have also achieved positive results with volunteer activities in the neighbouring countries of Laos and Cambodia, with the participation of 17,565 Youth Union members in 477 teams.

Speaking at the ceremony, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised the volunteerism of Vietnamese youths through volunteer movements and particularly the Summer youth volunteer campaign.

He suggested that Youth Union members and youngsters in any circumstance always maintain the precious qualities of Vietnamese youth as a pioneering, creative and voluntary force, while continuing to innovate the campaign’s organisation in order to mobilise the participation of a large force of the youth in the society.

The senior government official also asked the concerned authorities to create the best conditions for the HCMCYU and other Vietnamese youth organisations in implementing the Youth Law and the National Youth Development Strategy, as well as extending the revolutionary movements for young people, especially the Summer youth volunteer campaign, in the coming years.

Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh (fourth from left) and Politburo member Vo Van Thuong (sixth from left) present the third-class Labour Order to eight collectives with outstanding activities under the Summer volunteer campaign. (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

On the occasion, eight units were honoured with the third-class Labour Order and 15 collectives and five individuals received the Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit for their positive contributions to the Summer youth volunteer campaign.

On the same day, the HCMCYU Central Committee also held a roundtable discussion on the theme of 20 years of the Summer youth volunteer campaign as a journey for developing the experience, dedication and growth of the Vietnamese youth.

(Source: NDO)