Also attending the meeting were Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, First Secretary of the Central Youth Union Bui Quang Huy, and standing members of several provincial and municipal Party Committees. The Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union said that more than 200 delegates attended the program related to summer volunteer activities.

Reunion of summer volunteer soldiers of all periods

The delegates selected to participate in the program are volunteer soldiers from the two programs: Exam Support, Green Tutor, and volunteer campaigns: Green Summer, Red Flamboyant, Pink Vacation, and Green March.

Besides, there are also artists and journalists who have been involved in the summer volunteer movement of Ho Chi Minh City for the past 30 years.

In particular, some delegates are representatives of thousands of families supporting soldiers who have been with generations of volunteer soldiers in the city since the early days of the Summer Cultural Light campaign in 1994.

The meeting began in a friendly and open atmosphere. For President Vo Van Thuong in particular, it could be called "coming home". He was the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union from March 2003 until he was transferred by the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee to become the Secretary of District 12 Party Committee in November 2004.

Notably, during many years working at the City Youth Union in many different positions, President Vo Van Thuong was the commander of the city-level Green Summer volunteer campaign from 1999 - 2002.

In addition to recognizing and praising typical summer volunteers, the program hopes to be a meeting place for volunteer soldiers of all periods and foster families who have contributed and been involved in summer volunteer programs and campaigns of Ho Chi Minh City youth over the past 30 years.

This is also an opportunity to exchange, share and listen to opinions and suggestions for the city's youth volunteer activities and movements in the future.

30 years of summer volunteering attract more than 5 million union members and youth

Speaking at the program, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union Phan Thi Thanh Phuong said that the volunteers were ready to commit themselves and continue their activities in depth and breadth. The 1994 Summer Cultural Light has developed into six volunteer programs and campaigns, attracting more than 5 million union members and young people to participate in the past 30 years.

“Volunteering has demonstrated the creative thinking and perseverance of the Youth Union. Summer volunteer activities create a new momentum for the youth movement,” said Ms. Phan Thi Thanh Phuong.

According to the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, many volunteer products with deep expertise have been born, professional activities and volunteers have continued to carry out. This has created more trust and support from the people, businesses and leaders for youth activities.

Present at the meeting, Mr. Pham Van Dang - who has been raising soldiers for many years in Thanh Binh hamlet, Thanh An commune (Can Gio district, Ho Chi Minh City) - said that in the early days of Summer Cultural Light, his family welcomed volunteer students to help people in their thatched-roof house to eradicate illiteracy.

During the day, everyone went to the beach, and in the evening, they went to literacy classes taught by volunteer students. Many of their friends still came to visit them later, and they even invited the couple to their wedding. To the grandparents, their friends were like their own children and grandchildren.

“You came to help my wife and many people in this island commune learn to read and write. That is very valuable. So even though the situation at that time was very difficult, we and the students ate and lived together, ate whatever was available at home, and slept together, it was okay,” said Mr. Dang.

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