The relief platform cuutro.vucar.vn, created by a group of young people in Ho Chi Minh City, has become a hub connecting kind-hearted volunteers to ensure relief supplies are delivered accurately to the places where they are truly needed.
A hub connecting compassionate hearts
Amid the flood of distress calls and images of storms and floods circulating on social media, Ky Anh (born in 2000), like many other young people, felt compelled to take action.
From that initial idea, Phung Huy (born in 1999) proposed developing a relief coordination platform where volunteer groups could post their itineraries and staging points, while residents and benefactors could easily track and join in to offer support.
“We thought that if there were many people like us who wanted to help but didn’t know where to start, then creating an intermediary platform would be essential,” said Phung Huy.
What is particularly admirable about these young people is that the entire process, from conceptualisation to completion of the platform, was accomplished in just one night. The greatest challenge at the time was the time pressure.
“We built the website overnight. At first, we were genuinely afraid we wouldn’t make it in time, because when people are facing floods, we have to act as quickly as possible,” said Ky Anh.
To race against time and put their idea into action amid the urgent situation caused by storms and floods, the group of young developers leveraged their technological strengths, using AI to assist in coding, which accounted for up to 80% of the total workload.
Phung Huy said since they were unable to meet regularly in person, the team chose to work entirely online. Despite the distance, they maintained smooth coordination to create a timely and meaningful product.
The biggest challenge did not lie in building the website, but in its operation and information verification.
“Relief groups post information scattered across various forums, often buried in comment sections. We had to manually collect data and join numerous groups to obtain information,” recalled Ky Anh.
To ensure the accuracy of every piece of information published, the team directly called or messaged each relief group for verification. Although the process was demanding and time-consuming, it was crucial in building trust and ensuring that resources reached those most in need.
The spirit of youth in action
Since its launch, the group’s platform has quickly gained support from the community. Many charitable organisations have been able to find contact details and addresses to carry out relief work more effectively than before.
Through the platform, volunteer teams can easily share their activities and appeal for support. Several artists and media channels have also helped to promote the platform, enabling more people to learn about it and join relief efforts.
Tran Thu Ha, who manages a volunteer group in Ha Noi, said: “After posting our information on this application, we connected with many more compassionate individuals willing to join our efforts. Meanwhile, in affected areas, local residents also sent us on-site photos, allowing us to identify places most in need of assistance.”
“Positive feedback has been overwhelming. Everyone is united in directing support to disaster-hit regions; that truly makes us happy,” said Phung Huy.
This is a vivid testament to the compassion and creativity of young people in the digital age. When unable to physically reach flood-hit areas, they used their knowledge and skills to help others in meaningful ways.
Ky Anh affirmed: “The strength of young people lies in their spirit of action. They don’t just talk, they get to work, turning ideas into practical tools that serve the community.”
“For all of us, this has been an unforgettable experience. We hope that our small contribution can be of use to society. By applying our youthful energy and technological know-how, we aim to do something beneficial for our country and our people, and that brings us great happiness,” said Phung Huy.
Regarding long-term plans, a project representative said the initiative would not end after this natural disaster. The team will continue improving the platform to ensure it can be promptly activated in future emergencies, with the goal of making it an effective and sustainable information channel on natural disasters.
