The person who 'ignited' the Youth Union movement in Nghia Dan.

(Baonghean.vn) - Teacher Nguyen Tuan Anh - Secretary of the Youth Union of 1-5 High School (Nghia Dan) is one of two exemplary young people in Nghia Dan who received the title of Advanced Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings 2017..

Born in 1987, a graduate of Vinh University, and a Party member since his student days, Tuan Anh began teaching at High School 1-5 in 2011 and has been involved in youth union activities ever since. Balancing his teaching of Chemistry with his role as the school's Youth Union Secretary, Mr. Tuan Anh is always committed to fulfilling all his duties. For many years, this young teacher, along with the school's Youth Union Executive Committee, has organized numerous practical activities for students and union members.

Teacher Nguyen Tuan Anh enthusiastically "inspires" extracurricular activities. Photo: Thai Truong.

A notable example is the "Igniting Dreams" program in 2016. This program included activities such as sharing experiences and skills with students, holding knowledge quizzes, and especially calling for collective support and assistance for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Tuan Anh shared: "As the name of the program suggests, besides the help from everyone, the children are empowered, given renewed hope and motivation to cultivate their willpower, train themselves to overcome difficulties and rise up using their own abilities. The program has raised over 33 million VND. Furthermore, support for the children is organized regularly whenever they face difficulties. In 2016 alone, the program helped and shared with 42 children, with over 60 million VND, along with many school supplies and other necessities."

Sharing his thoughts on fundraising for underprivileged students, Tuan Anh said that during his student years, he participated in many humanitarian and charitable activities, reaching out to many disadvantaged people in society. Through these volunteer activities, he realized how meaningful the joy of giving and bringing help to each person and each situation truly is.

Tuan Anh (far left) presents gifts to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Photo: Thai Truong.

Understanding the difficult circumstances faced by the students, and recognizing that success would be impossible if he worked alone, he always called for collaboration and cooperation with parent associations, businesses, and local authorities to appeal to the generosity of everyone.

In particular, the school's Youth Union identifies students from disadvantaged backgrounds right from the start of 10th grade and provides assistance until they graduate from high school. With responsibility and empathy, the Youth Union has helped students like Mai Van Lam, a 12th-grade student in Tan Thanh ward, Nghia Dan town, who is an orphan living alone with his mother, who is often ill. The Youth Union mobilized support for him, both financially and in kind. Similarly, Ngo Van Giang, from Dong Hoi 2 hamlet, Nghia Hoi commune, has suffered from asthma since childhood, has poor health, and his parents are often ill, with his older sister suffering from kidney failure, yet he persevered and achieved the title of outstanding student at the provincial level. In all these cases, Teacher Tuan Anh visited the students' homes to inquire about their well-being, offer encouragement, give gifts, and gather specific information about their situations.

He confided that some people consider volunteering to be seasonal or a trend, but he believes it's about providing help regularly or on an ad hoc basis, not just during holidays. Most importantly, he wants to instill in the children feelings of love, trust, and motivation to strive for success.

Besides volunteer activities, one of the activities that the Youth Union Secretary, Tuan Anh, always emphasizes is developing skills and self-improvement among its members. Clubs such as broadcasting, creative science, singing and dancing groups, and traffic safety clubs have created many beneficial and interesting playgrounds.

"Youth Fair" is one such example. Participating in the fair, young people can engage in group activities such as singing, dancing, acting, folk games, practicing MC skills, and giving presentations. In addition, career guidance activities at universities and colleges help students have more choices and directions for their future. Many talented students have participated in major cultural and artistic programs organized by the District Youth Union and the district.

Tuan Anh at the ceremony honoring outstanding young people following Uncle Ho's teachings. Photo: Thai Truong.

Mr. Phan Van Hien - Secretary of the Nghia Dan District Youth Union shared: "Comrade Tuan Anh is an energetic, enthusiastic, and dedicated Youth Union official, always creating many interesting activities that attract a large number of Youth Union members and young people to participate. Among them, he mobilizes support for many students to overcome difficulties and strive for success. He also provides free job placement assistance for many young people throughout the province, mainly in accounting, mechanics, electrical, welding, and general labor jobs... working at contractors for the Nghi Son - Thanh Hoa oil refinery project, the Vinh Tan - Binh Thuan thermal power project, and thermal power projects in Tra Vinh, Hoa Binh, and Ha Nam... with a guaranteed salary of over 7 million VND/month, helping many young people find stable jobs and income."

Besides being a dedicated teacher and an energetic youth union officer, he is also known as a multi-talented young man with many skills such as singing, hosting, and a passion for photography. Thanks to his efforts, teacher Nguyen Tuan Anh has received numerous awards, including three commendations from the Department of Education and Training, being recognized as an outstanding grassroots emulation soldier in the 2015-2016 school year, and receiving awards from the Provincial and District Youth Unions for his contributions to youth union activities. He also contributed to the school's youth union's achievements, receiving commendations from the Central Youth Union for five consecutive years (from 2011 to 2016). Most recently, the school's Youth Union Secretary, Nguyen Tuan Anh, was honored with the title of "Advanced Youth Following Uncle Ho's Teachings" awarded by the Provincial Youth Union in 2017.

Thai Truong