Nghe An Youth - Growing up from grassroots attachment and volunteering

PV:Nghe An is one of the provinces with the highest number of commendations at the October 15 Awards this year. What does this award mean to you? What do you think are the signs?What are Nghe An's highlights at this year's awards?

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao:The October 15 Award is a noble award of the Vietnam Youth Union to outstanding Union officials with outstanding achievements in the work of the Union and the youth movement. The award aims to encourage, support and commend outstanding Union officials who contribute to consolidating, building and developing the Vietnam Youth Union organization to become stronger. At the same time, it creates motivation for Union officials to constantly train, strive, and contribute their intelligence and youth to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

Not only me but all the nominees and awardees feel very honored, because this is a recognition of their efforts and endeavors after a period of operation. That also shows that the innovations and programs that the Association has implemented have made an impression and brought about practical results.

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao received the Award on October 15, 2022. Photo: NVCC

I also realize that, although compared to many other provinces and cities, the activities of the Nghe An Youth Union have certain characteristics and difficulties. But that is what forces the Union to always innovate and implement many outstanding activities and movements, creating an impression and carrying the Union's own color.

Among them, we can mention social security activities aimed at people in especially difficult mountainous areas such as: "Warm Tet in the West" program with activities of giving social security bags to people in difficult circumstances, organizing free medical examinations and medicine distribution, giving warm clothes to students... All resources mainly mobilize socialized sources, cooperation and support of organizations, individuals, businesses...

Youth Union members support forces to prevent and fight Covid-19. Photo: NVCC

In addition, the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union is always the leading unit in competitions and activities launched by the Central Union such as the Program "Volunteer Footsteps for the Community", the English Olympic Competition for young cadres and civil servants, etc. Along with that, the Union chapters in the whole province have proactively and flexibly innovated the content and methods of activities to attract a large number of young people to participate. Many good models and effective creative methods of the grassroots have been deployed and replicated, such as implementing the "Car Wash to raise funds" activities to support families with preferential policies and families in difficult circumstances. Thereby, affirming the role and responsibility of the organization in supporting and accompanying young people.

PV:The October 15 Award highlights initiatives and solutions for implementing grassroots movements. I understand that one of your initiatives that was recognized was mobilizing resources to support children and disadvantaged groups in the Western Nghe An region. Please share about these programs and what you received after the programs?

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao:Since the beginning of the year, many meaningful youth projects have been implemented in Nghe An province, most of which are in mountainous and particularly disadvantaged districts.

Nghe An Provincial Youth Union coordinated with units to start construction of the project "Bridge of love - good school for children". Photo: NVCC

Of which, we have completed the construction of 3 "Beautiful schools for children" at Pa Ca village, Nam Can Kindergarten, Tong Khu village, Na Ngoi Primary School (Ky Son), Muong Piet village, Thong Thu Primary School (Que Phong). In addition, we have also called for the construction of 2 "Happy houses" for disadvantaged children in Ky Son and Tuong Duong districts, and supported the construction of 6 charity houses for policy families in Nghi Loc and Tan Ky districts with a support level of 70 million VND/house. Along with that, the Provincial Youth Union, the Youth Union, the Department of Education and Training, and Tien Phong Newspaper have coordinated to build 3 "Bridges of Love - Going to School with Children" projects in Con Cuong, Tan Ky, and Que Phong districts.

Looking at the names of the projects, we can see the practical and humane meaning that the program has brought. Personally, I have contributed and joined hands with the Association to implement it, feeling the boundless happiness and joy of students and people in the highlands. The common point of these projects is that they are all aimed at subjects and areas with special difficulties. During the implementation process, we also received a lot of resources from social mobilization sources, showing the affection and sharing of the community towards difficult and disadvantaged subjects. Although the material value is not much, the spiritual value is very large, thereby showing the trust of organizations and individuals in the Youth Union - Association at all levels.

PV:In recent years, Nghe An has also built the Competition “Creative Startup Ideas for Rural Youth” and brought about very positive social effects. Why did you choose rural youth as the target? In the process of implementing startup ideas, what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao:Objectadolescent,especially the youth in rural areas today are the pioneering and core force in the issue of economic development in the locality. Along with that, the potential and resources for economic development in the localities today are very large. Therefore, promoting the youth start-up movement in rural areas today is very important. That will both contribute to the development of the local economy and attract and retain young people to stay and get rich in their homeland.

During the implementation of this contest, what we are happy about is that there are more and more new ideas, daring to think, daring to do from young people. Along with that, the startup movement in the current period is more interested than ever by the Party, State, Party committees and authorities at all levels. The clear evidence is that in recent times, many specific policies, mechanisms on startups have been issued and quickly deployed and implemented in practice.

Handover ceremony of youth flag road in Nghi Loc district. Photo: NVCC

However, through the actual implementation process, it shows that currently, young people who want to start a business still face certain difficulties such as problems with information, awareness, and knowledge about starting a business but they are not yet complete. Many young people have not prepared themselves before starting a business, leading to failure. Second, the problem of loan capital, there are many loan sources to support young people starting a business, however, the loan limit is still low, the procedures are complicated. I also think that the startup movement somewhere still lacks synchronization, close connection with each other between localities, regions, areas, and youth groups. On the part of the Youth Union in accompanying and supporting young people starting a business is not really clear, there are still places that are indifferent, indifferent...

PV:One of the important tasks of the Youth Union is to gather forces to participate in movements. However, I also see that at the grassroots level, in many places, there are not many young people left, most of them have gone to work abroad or gone to work in foreign countries.domainMen start a business. So in the digital transformation period, how to gather many union members, young people and have many widespread social activities?

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao:"Nghe An Volunteer Map" is one of the activities that has beenYouth UnionNghe An was built to connect clubs, teams, groups, organizations, individuals, and businesses in volunteer activities and promote effectiveness. Thereby, not only connecting union members and volunteers in the province but also connecting with many union members, students, and volunteers in Nghe An who are studying and working nationwide. At the same time, helping the youth volunteer movement to be implemented in a diversified manner, ensuring widespread, directional, leading, effective, sustainable, and creative. Currently, the information and propaganda channels of the Union - Association at all levels, especially social networks, are also promoting effectiveness from the province to the grassroots, helping to spread activities and contribute to strengthening the work of uniting and gathering youth in and outside the province.

From the above examples, it can be seen that changing youth solidarity and gathering activities towards digitalization is an inevitable trend. This is also an advantage for union members and youth, because young people quickly catch up with technology, with applications on digital platforms and have many advantages in adapting to the environment.

Displaying youth startup products of Nghe An province in 2022. Photo: NVCC

PV:It is known that you have been assigned to the mountainous district of Tan Ky for many years and have been attached to the base for quite a long time. In your opinion, what qualities does a Youth Union officer need to perform his role well and what factors should be aimed at in implementing movements in the current period to be both correct, accurate, effective and attract a large number of union members to participate and respond?

Mr. Cao Xuan Thao:Since my high school and university days, I have actively participated in the Youth Union movements at school and in my hometown. At that time, joining the Youth Union was simply with the thought that members had to devote their youth and enthusiasm.

However, since becoming a Youth Union officer with the task of advising the Standing Committee and the Provincial Youth Union on implementing movements, my responsibilities have changed a lot. Therefore, what we always worry about is how to implement effective movements and attract a large number of union members to participate. To do so, we need to think to come up with new models and creative and effective ways of doing things depending on each target and each locality.

For me, experiencing many positions and tasks in the Youth Union, and being promoted to the grassroots level are all valuable times. During the process of closely following the local practices, we saw the difficulties, hardships, and obstacles, grasped the thoughts and aspirations of the youth of the block, hamlet, and many different groups, and from the practical implementation, we drew experiences for ourselves and later gave appropriate advice, covering many issues.

Nghe An Provincial Youth Union supports people in flooded areas in Quynh Luu district. Photo: NVCC

Many people may think that the Youth Union consists of young people who lack knowledge and life experience. However, being attached to the grassroots, participating in volunteer activities and practical activities at the grassroots will certainly help the members mature. Moreover, I think that young people have their own strengths, which are aspiration, dedication, initiative, volunteerism, creativity and always carry the spirit of "wherever there is a need, there is youth, where there is difficulty, there is youth" to complete the assigned tasks.

PV:Thanks for joining the conversation!

My Ha