July is the peak time for the Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign. Young people are devoting all their efforts to completing projects and tasks that closely meet the actual needs of the local people and contribute to the development of the border region.
Bringing dreams to children in border areas
After nearly two hours of travel, the bus carrying volunteer students from Dong Thap University travelled 70km to arrive in Thuong Lac ward early in the morning. Welcoming the teachers and students were, in addition to ward leaders, local people and teachers and students from Thuong Lac Primary and Secondary School.
Nguyen Thao Nhi, Student Manager and Secretary of the Youth Union of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Education, Dong Thap University, along with 30 volunteer students from the faculty, after being assigned accommodation, began the first tasks of their volunteer activities: implementing the “Friendly Toilet” project at Thuong Lac Primary and Secondary School; awarding scholarships to underprivileged students in the border region; and eliminating garbage hotspots.
“From monotonous walls that had lost their aesthetic appeal over time, the students worked together to clean and paint them, creating bright, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing walls, making students feel comfortable and clean when using the toilets. The project also educates the children to raise their awareness of maintaining public hygiene,” Nguyen Thao Nhi said.
The lives of the people in the border ward of Thuong Lac are still difficult. Upon learning of the volunteer students’ arrival, children and the elderly alike enthusiastically participated in the summer activities. The border region has a sparse population density and scattered settlements; in some places, the distance from homes to summer activity centres is 10-15km. Yet, people eagerly travel by motorbike and bicycle to bring their children to participate in the activities.
Nguyen Trong Phuc, a student in the 24A class of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Education at Dong Thap University, originally from An Ninh commune, Tay Ninh province, participated in the summer volunteer campaign in the border region for the first time.
Upon arriving in Thuong Lac ward, Phuc and his group immediately began organising activities for the children, including language skills enhancement programs and practical activities. “I will always remember these days, remember this border region where we contributed our small efforts to help the people and children have a better life,” Nguyen Trong Phuc shared.
Ho Van Ngang, Principal of Thuong Lac Primary and Secondary School, said this was the first time the school had welcomed student volunteers. Students are inspired and participate in activities with university students, which helps them become more confident, continue their studies, and strive to fulfil their dreams and aspirations.
Meeting local needs
Thuong Lac is a border area facing many difficulties; infrastructure in some areas is not yet synchronised, investment resources are limited, and social mobilisation is challenging. According to Nguyen The Trung, Vice Chairman of the Thuong Lac Ward People’s Committee: “The projects and activities of the volunteer youth force closely follow the actual needs of the locality, yielding clear results. Notable examples include solar-powered lighting and eco-friendly toilets at schools; environmental sanitation activities, eliminating garbage hotspots, building tree nurseries, playgrounds and summer activities for children, and awarding scholarships…”.
This year’s Green Summer Campaign was implemented by Dong Thap University with the participation of 600 students. The campaign was carried out in several localities, focusing resources on border areas with social welfare activities, foreign language teaching, music, art, and physical education classes, and swimming lessons for children in border regions.
According to Nguyen Tri Tuc, Secretary of the Youth Union of Dong Thap University: This year, for the first time, the Youth Union is implementing the “Singing in the Border Region” project and selling art.
Accordingly, students will form performing arts teams to go to each commune and ward to coordinate with local authorities to organise cultural nights and sell art to raise funds, which will then be handed over to the Fatherland Front of the commune/ward to support social welfare activities.
In addition, the Youth Union will cooperate with the Provincial Youth Union and the Department of Education and Training to implement the project “Career Guidance for Older Youth Union Members” (young people preparing to enter grade 10 but not continuing their education, instead pursuing vocational training or other work).
In 2026, the Standing Committee of the Dong Thap Provincial Youth Union has identified the border area as a priority area for social welfare activities and the implementation of new development models linked to science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation.
At the launch ceremony of the 2026 Dong Thap Province Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign, universities, colleges, businesses inside and outside the province, and the Provincial Youth Union jointly donated resources to implement many projects, tasks, and social welfare activities in localities throughout the province, with a total value of nearly 10 billion VND. The campaign is expected to mobilize 2,000-3,000 student volunteers from universities and colleges inside and outside the province, with nearly 50 volunteer teams operating throughout the province.
Le Hoang Quyet, Secretary of the Dong Thap Provincial Youth Union, stated: “The projects and tasks of the campaign were surveyed beforehand, selected according to practical needs, leveraging the professional strengths of the students, ensuring that they can continue to be effective after the campaign ends. For border areas, our goal is to complete projects that create a foundation for the sustainable development of border localities after the campaign.”
According to Huynh Minh Tuan, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Dong Thap province, the province has directed all levels of the Youth Union to focus on implementing the campaign in a practical, effective, and sustainable manner; selecting the right tasks that meet the needs of the locality and its people. The campaign continues to prioritise resources for remote, mountainous, border areas and localities facing many difficulties.
