Green Summer and Future Citizens

(Baonghean) - If there's anything I regret about my time in university, it's going abroad to study and not being able to participate in student volunteer activities. Every time I hear my friends talk about their trips to rural areas, I can't help but feel envious...

A friend of mine has been involved in volunteer activities since she first entered university. Every summer when I go back to Vietnam, I have to try to arrange a meeting with her many times. She arrives with a tan but a bright smile, and after a few initial greetings, the conversation quickly spirals into a whirlwind of trips, new friends, and exciting experiences that no lecture in school could ever teach.

Student volunteers provide support during exam season. Photo: Thanh Phuc

I was stunned to hear the story of how my friend, while participating in a volunteer activity during exam season, unexpectedly met her distant cousin from her hometown who was also taking the exam. "At that moment, I realized even more how meaningful it is to participate in volunteer activities like this. If she hadn't met me then, my cousin would have received the same dedicated help from other student volunteers, just like family and friends. Just think, being willing to stand under the scorching summer sun and amidst heavy traffic to guide and assist complete strangers – sometimes it feels like a dream. Without volunteer activities, it would have taken me a very long time to understand the meaning and responsibility of community service."

I've always dared to think that many young people, when participating in volunteer activities, may not fully understand the significance of engaging in social work. This is understandable and perfectly acceptable, as most young people lack the life experience and knowledge to clearly grasp their responsibilities to the community. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, because educating and fostering awareness among young people about the duties of a true citizen is one of the purposes of volunteering!

Like blank pages, you join volunteer activities at the invitation of friends, the encouragement of family, school, and society as a whole, without yet clearly defining your ideals. Then, as these summer volunteer programs pass, you see yourself growing little by little, and find the purpose and ideal of living for the community taking root in each of you, future citizens...

Thuc Anh