Cultivating friendship with Vietnamese hearts

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang, residing in Ward 13, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City, is very proud because now she has 5 adopted children who are Laotian students studying in Vietnam. Initially, Ms. Hang planned to adopt 2 Laotian students for a period of time, but through activities and communication, she realized that she understood her children's thoughts and feelings, so she decided to adopt them until they finished university. Happier still, in addition to the 2 Laotian students officially adopted through the program, there are 3 other Laotian students who, out of respect for her feelings, volunteered to be adopted by the family.

Cultivating friendship with Vietnamese hearts - Part 1: Volunteers sow

Ms. Hang shared: “When the children came to the family and called me “mother”, I felt responsible for them, loving and caring for them as if they were my own relatives. The children who came to live with the family were all very obedient, enthusiastically helping the family with everything, and participating with the family in social work and local movements, so they received attention and high appreciation from the Party Committee, government, political organizations and unions.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang: "When my children came to my family and called me "mother", I felt responsible for them, loving and caring for them like my own relatives."

According to Ms. Hang, when there are social activities, her family and children are all invited to participate. To help the children understand more about Vietnamese customs and culture, when the family attends weddings or parties, she always lets her children come along as official members, so that they have the opportunity to understand more deeply about Vietnamese culture.

Like Ms. Hang, over the past 10 years, Ms. Truong Thuy Uyen, Ward 15, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City has participated in the activity of sponsoring Cambodian students studying in Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, she is sponsoring 2 Cambodian students studying at Ton Duc Thang University. Although the children do not live directly with their families, they still regularly visit their foster parents to participate in activities, go sightseeing, or participate in common activities with the family.

Ms. Uyen said: “I have a son the same age as my two adopted Cambodian children, and they are studying at the same university. This is a favorable condition for me to care for them. They always support and help each other during their time at school.”

At the beginning of adopting Cambodian students, Ms. Uyen encountered certain difficulties such as the children's fear of studying abroad alone, contacting strange families, and some children whose Vietnamese was not very good... Overcoming all of this, she told herself that with genuine care and love, she would sow good feelings in the Cambodian students. When they were sick, or had good academic achievements or birthdays, she shared and encouraged them promptly. The greatest gift to her was the happiness of hearing her adopted children call her "mother".

The happiness of Ms. Truong Thuy Uyen and her adopted Cambodian children. Photo: NVCC

Not only in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and many localities across the country also join hands to participate in the adoption model to help Lao and Cambodian students studying and living in the area.

Dances that strengthen Vietnam-Laos friendship. Photo: Duc Anh

Identifying herself as a “Second Mother”, Ms. Hoang Thi Nga, residing in Hung Dung ward, Vinh city, Nghe An province, has actively participated in raising Lao children to study in Vietnam.

Twinning ceremony of Trung Hung women's bloc with Lao students studying at Vinh Medical University - Nghe An Province. Photo: NVCC

Left photo: Every weekend, holiday, and Tet, the adopted children come home to have dinner with their adoptive parents.

Right photo: Many traditional songs and dances of Vietnam and Laos are indispensable spiritual food at the year-end party. Photo: Duc Anh

Ms. Nga confided: “On July 25, 2020, the Women's Association of Trung Hung block, Hung Dung ward, Vinh city, Nghe An province organized a twinning ceremony with Lao students at Vinh Medical University. At that time, there were 122 Lao students studying abroad and right after the twinning ceremony, in September 2020, the adoption activity was organized, divided into 3 phases. However, the Covid-19 epidemic broke out so the block could only organize the first phase with 40 children, my family adopted 3 children. Before that, I also adopted 1 child who was a Lao student, now he has finished studying and returned to the country”.

Along with Mrs. Nga's family, many families have adopted Lao students long before the twinning ceremony took place.

As time passed, Lao and Cambodian students gradually graduated and returned to their homeland to live and work, but still kept in touch with their adoptive parents in Vietnam. The adoptive parents and their children had many happy and sad memories. For Mrs. Nga, the most profound and loving memory was with Phonekeo, whose Vietnamese name is Thao Tien. When she came to study, her mother had a heart disease and was brought to Vietnam for treatment and surgery at a hospital in Hanoi, but then could not return home due to the epidemic. Knowing her situation, Mrs. Nga felt very sorry for her and discussed with the association to find a way to help her. In March 2022, Thao Tien graduated and returned home, bringing her biological mother with her. Mrs. Nga said goodbye to the mother and daughter and sent some Vietnamese gifts for her to bring back, which made the mother and daughter hug and cry. To this day, the mother and daughter still keep in touch via social networks.

Mr. Vu Vuong Viet took a photo with four Cambodian students he sponsored.

Photo: Character provided

Mr. Vu Vuong Viet, former Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association.

“Welcoming the children is like nurturing the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship. Hundreds of Cambodian students sponsored by the Association have graduated and returned home, becoming an important human resource in the construction and development of Cambodia and a bridge of friendship between the two nations and peoples of Vietnam and Cambodia,” said Mr. Vu Vuong Viet, former Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association.

As one of the people who worked in Cambodia, with deep feelings of solidarity and friendship with the Cambodian people, when returning home, Mr. Vu Vuong Viet, former Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association, brought with him many feelings of attachment to the land of pagodas. When the "Nurturing Friendship" movement began to be launched continuously from 2002 until now, he and his family actively participated in the program and sponsored 7 Cambodian students studying in Vietnam.

Also one of the people who actively responded to the "Nurturing Friendship" movement and has up to 9 godchildren who are Cambodian students, Mr. Nguyen The Dau, former Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Finance, Office of the National Assembly shared: "The purpose of this movement is to improve Vietnamese language skills, to support and encourage children to achieve high results in their studies. In addition, through the program, it creates conditions for students to learn about the culture and traditional history of Vietnam, such as organizing tours in the provinces and cities. On holidays, such as Lunar New Year, Cambodian New Year, National Day September 2, the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association as well as his family often organizes gift giving for the sponsored students, and takes them on tours to learn about the historical and cultural values of Vietnam."

Mr. Nguyen The Dau and his adopted children, Cambodian students, left behind beautiful memories during their tours and travels. Photo: Provided by the character.

One of the leading localities in nurturing Lao and Cambodian children to study in Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City. To do this well, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City issued Project No. 01/DA-MTTQ-BTT dated May 28, 2021 on organizing the program "Vietnamese families with Lao and Cambodian students studying in Ho Chi Minh City" for the period 2021-2025. From this project, the Organizing Committee informed the Lao Consulate General and the Cambodian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss and agree on the content of the program implementation. Accordingly, the parties reached a high level of agreement on the content and implementation methods of the program in the period 2021-2025.

To date, the program's Organizing Committee has mobilized and recorded 33 families, 42 Lao students and 6 Cambodian students participating in 2022. In particular, the families receive students in many forms: Living with the family, interacting on weekends or during school breaks...

Vietnamese Family Program with Lao and Cambodian students studying in Ho Chi Minh City in 2022.

In addition to the kindness of the families who sponsor and adopt Lao and Cambodian students, the role of local authorities is extremely important for the program to be truly effective. The attention, direction and practical actions such as fundraising and support have brought success to the program in particular and further strengthened the friendship between the three brotherly countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia.

Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union honors outstanding Lao and Cambodian students in 2022.

The Veterans Association - Ho Chi Minh City Command presented gifts to Lao and Cambodian students during the friendship exchange program. Photo: Do Phu

Vietnamese foster parents and their Lao and Cambodian adoptive children visit the Cu Chi Tunnels historical site in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Do Phu

Leaders of provinces and cities across the country always follow and pay close attention to Lao and Cambodian students studying and living in the area. In Ho Chi Minh City, recently, the City Youth Union has organized youth exchange and cooperation activities among the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia in general.

Comrade Nguyen Ho Hai, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, emphasized: “The Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee believes that Lao and Cambodian students are positive factors contributing to further strengthening the solidarity, friendship, and close-knit relationship between the people of the three countries. The students will continue to be the ones to foster the good relationship between the three countries, contributing to building a prosperous country, together towards the goal of building a peaceful, cooperative and developed ASEAN community. The youth of the three countries of Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia will be a very important factor in connecting and strengthening the friendship, the completeness of the love that has been nurtured and developed by generations.”

Comrade Nguyen Ho Hai (white shirt, standing in the middle) with delegates and students from three countries in the 2022 Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia student exchange program.

Left photo: Art performance in the 2022 Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia student exchange program.

Right photo: Comrade Nguyen Ho Hai speaks at the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia student exchange program on the occasion of the traditional Lao and Cambodian New Year.

The highlight of the program of Vietnamese families sponsoring and adopting Lao and Cambodian students is that it has created a good environment for Lao and Cambodian students to experience the daily life of Vietnamese families, thereby connecting their emotions and spirit when they have to study far from home. The program has received close attention and direction from authorities at all levels and has had smooth coordination between relevant agencies, organizations and localities. In particular, the program's success is thanks to the active response and participation of Vietnamese families. This noble gesture has contributed practically to the city's strengthening of people-to-people diplomacy with the people of Laos and Cambodia.

In addition to the attention and support of authorities at all levels as well as organizations and unions, the help and companionship of universities, colleges, and dormitories where Lao and Cambodian students study and live is indispensable.

Lao and Cambodian students studying at Nguyen Tat Thanh University join in the spring festival and traditional New Year in Vietnam. Photo: Provided by the school

Photo left: Lao and Cambodian students perform at the opening ceremony of the new school year at Nguyen Tat Thanh University.

Photo right: Lao and Cambodian students visit a high-tech agricultural zone in Ho Chi Minh City.

Comrade Nguyen Thanh Nha, Deputy Director of the Lao Student Dormitory in Ho Chi Minh City, said: The Board of Directors of the Lao Student Dormitory periodically works with the Lao Student Self-Management Board and the Cambodian Student Self-Management Board to resolve related issues during the study and living process at the dormitory. In addition, regularly review and update student management records, register temporary residence and temporary absence periodically, and guide international students staying at the Lao Student Dormitory to extend their visas through the management software system of the Immigration Department. Organize working sessions and discuss with new students about the dormitory's regulations and rules; at the same time, listen, share and resolve the legitimate thoughts and aspirations of new students.

Leaders of the Vietnam - Cambodia Friendship Association took a photo with President of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Heng Samrin and the high-ranking delegation of the National Assembly of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

In taking care of the spiritual and cultural life, the dormitory has coordinated to organize activities to celebrate the traditional Bunpimay New Year (Laos) and the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year (Cambodia) for Lao and Cambodian students. At the same time, organize monthly integration playgrounds for Lao and Cambodian students with tours to learn about historical sites, red addresses... Along with that, there are seminars and discussions on the topic "Post-Covid-19 health care and prevention of dengue fever in the rainy season", mobilize units to coordinate in awarding scholarships to Lao and Cambodian students...

Nguyen Tat Thanh University gives gifts to Lao and Cambodian students on the occasion of Vietnamese traditional New Year. Photo: Provided by the school

Lao and Cambodian students perform at the Vietnamese traditional New Year festival at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. Photo: Provided by the school

To connect Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students, universities have organized many practical activities such as: Each practice and internship group has Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students to support students who are not good at Vietnamese or have not mastered the lessons well... At the same time, they regularly organize football exchange activities, picnics, arts, and cuisine between Vietnamese - Lao - Cambodian students, aiming at cultural exchange between the countries.

As a meaningful activity, imbued with humanity and friendship, the program of Vietnamese families adopting, sponsoring, and helping Lao and Cambodian students to study and live in Vietnam has received, is receiving, and will receive much attention, support, and cooperation from the community.

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