Young volunteers helped clean up the streets of Hoi An during the APEC Economic Leaders' Week from November 5 to 11, 2017

Since 2000, a volunteer movement initiated by the Youth Union has reached out to people in need. Over the past 5 years, the movement has attracted 16 million members. Nguyen Phi Long, Secretary of the Youth Union’s Central Committee, told VOV: “We hope that volunteer activities that Vietnamese young people have been doing will motivate youth action and creativity. Their passion and energetic help directly contribute to national development.”

Many young individuals have founded volunteer clubs for specific work like donating blood, helping children attend school, providing free medical exams, and donating warm clothes to mountain people. Vo Thi Nhu Quynh, a student at the Medical University of Health in Vinh City, is a member of a club that helps poor patients: “Our club was established in 2010. Majoring in medicine, we understand the diseases and the difficulties, which patients suffer and which cost them a lot of money. So, each day from Monday to Friday, we cook 400 portions of porridge and deliver them to the patients and their relatives at the Oncology and Orthopedics Hospital. The money for our activities comes from the sale of toothpicks and recycling cans and bottles.”

Vietnamese youth volunteer movements have raised public awareness of volunteerism and contributed to community and national development.