Volunteer Spring Journey holds special significance

The traditional Tet holiday of the nation is not only a moment of transition between heaven and earth, a time for family reunions, but also a special period for all levels and sectors, including the Youth Union, Student Association, union members, association members, and youths, to spread love, express gratitude to policy families, and demonstrate a spirit of sharing with the community.

Youth union members, association members, and students together prepare a reunion meal at the home of a Vietnamese Heroic Mother. Photo: Nga Son

As part of this year's Volunteer Spring Journey, youth union members, association members, and students across the province brought the Tet spirit to child patients undergoing treatment at Dong Nai Children's Hospital, encouraging them toward a swift recovery and return to their families.

Small gifts, conveying love

After a collision with a truck, Ngo Tran Phuong Tram (over 4 years old) has had to remain in the hospital for an extended period. Ngo Thi Kim Thoa (Phuong Tram's mother) shared that nearly nine months ago, she was riding with her daughter when they were involved in a crash with a truck. The accident left Phuong Tram with a traumatic brain injury. She and her husband rushed their child to the emergency room, and she has been receiving treatment at Dong Nai Children's Hospital ever since.

Speaking about her family’s situation, Kim Thoa confided that her family of four lives in a rented room in Tam Hiep ward. Her husband works as a motorbike taxi driver. Before the accident and hospitalization, she and her eldest child, now 11 years old, sold lottery tickets. Their combined earnings were just enough to cover daily living expenses. However, since Phuong Tram was admitted to the hospital, Thoa has had to stay there to care for her daughter and can no longer sell lottery tickets. The family’s living costs and Phuong Tram’s medical expenses have long surpassed what they can afford. In light of their difficult circumstances, Dong Nai Children's Hospital has also provided support.

As part of this year's Volunteer Spring Journey, the Dong Nai Student Association and the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union presented gifts of encouragement and additional support to help ease the difficulties Phuong Tram faces during her hospital treatment. "For my family, any support at this time, whether big or small, is very precious. It helps my husband and me reduce the financial burden and serves as a source of spiritual encouragement for us to overcome difficulties and have more faith to continue patiently treating our child," Thoa shared.

At Dong Nai Children's Hospital today, cases of child patients requiring long-term treatment are not uncommon. Among them, many face difficult circumstances. According to Nguyen Tran Phuong Ha, Deputy Secretary of the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union and Vice Chairwoman of the Dong Nai Student Association, on this occasion, the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union and the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union presented 100 gifts to child patients in difficult circumstances while providing an additional five cash support packages for long-term child patients facing hardship. Beyond its message of encouragement and compassion, visiting and giving gifts to child patients also provides a valuable real-life experience for youth union members, association members, and students.

Participating in the activity for the first time, Nguyen Thi Kim Yen, a third-year student from the Faculty of Economics at the Vietnam National University of Forestry – Dong Nai Campus (Trang Bom commune), was deeply moved. Kim Yen shared: Seeing young patients being treated in the hospital for years, even decades, she felt fortunate to have good health, to study, and to live in comfortable conditions. This experience helped her appreciate her current life more and share with those in more difficult circumstances.

Reunion meal with a Vietnamese Heroic Mother

This year's Volunteer Spring Journey became more distinctive and meaningful with the addition of the "Reunion Meal" activity with Vietnamese Heroic Mother Ho Thi Vang, residing in Tan Trieu ward.

Nguyen Thu Hang, a second-year public relations student at Lac Hong University (Tran Bien ward), shared that this was her first time participating in the "Reunion Meal" activity with a Vietnamese Heroic Mother. As a result, she felt both excited and happy to be part of such a meaningful event. Before the activity, she was also briefed on the tasks involved. At 6 a.m., she traveled approximately 15 kilometers from her home in Phuoc Tan ward to the Dong Nai Provincial Youth Union headquarters (Tran Bien ward) to join the group on their visit to the house of Vietnamese Heroic Mother Ho Thi Vang. Upon arrival, union members, association members, and students were divided into groups, each assigned specific duties. Assigned to general house cleaning, Hang and several other students cleaned the martyr’s altar and the living space of the Vietnamese Heroic Mother.

According to Thu Hang, participating in this activity gave her a strong sense of the approaching Lunar New Year atmosphere. The activity not only brought the Tet spirit to the home of the Vietnamese Heroic Mother but also served as a heartfelt tribute from the younger generation to the sacrifices of heroic martyrs and the significant contributions of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers to the cause of national liberation and reunification. "I believe that today's young generation, born and raised in peace, must always remember and take practical actions to express gratitude to those who came before us. For students, striving to study well, train hard, live with kindness, and care for those around us is the most practical way to show gratitude and responsibility to the Fatherland," Hang expressed.

Seeing the youth union members, association members, and students gathered to clean, decorate for Tet, and prepare the offering meal for the martyrs, Vietnamese Heroic Mother Ho Thi Vang was deeply moved. She hoped that the younger generation would continue to uphold their ancestors' traditions, maintain peace, and build a prosperous country.

With the desire to contribute a small part to bringing a warm and joyful Tet atmosphere to the community, especially in his own locality, Nguyen Duy Phuong, a fourth-year student from the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, registered to take part in the "Meal with Vietnamese Heroic Mother" activity. In addition to helping with cleaning, Phuong also helped prepare traditional Tet dishes to offer to the martyrs and joined the Vietnamese Heroic Mother for a reunion meal.

Duy Phuong said: He has participated in many volunteer activities, but this is the most meaningful one. He himself learned more about the story of sacrifice, about the value of independence and freedom; he understood that the value of the volunteer spirit is not limited to sharing with the community but is also an opportunity to connect, learn, and develop skills.

The meaningful activities in the program not only bring practical value to society but also foster ideals of life, a sense of responsibility to contribute, and the courage of each volunteer, serving as the foundation for the volunteer spirit to continue to spread.

By Nga Son – Translated by Mai Nga, Minho