Scores of volunteer clubs have been initiated and run by local youth across the country over recent years, as a counterbalance to undesirable habits rife among a large number of today’s youngsters.
Most initiators of such clubs find themselves frustrated at bad habits rampant among a large segment of their peers, such as looting accident victims, verbally attacking one another online and being indifferent to others’ sufferings.
They are thus set on gathering like-minded friends into charity clubs, which help others who are less fortunate than themselves and prove that good people are still out there.
Nguyen Khanh Hung, 22, who resides in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Thanh District, is in charge of the southern subsidiary of a “Tu Te La” (Being nice,) a nationwide campaign which encourages inviduals and organizations to perform good deeds and nurture rewarding interpersonal relationship.
Hung and his partners have handed away bands with the words “Toi Chon Tu Te” (I choose to be nice,” in a bid to encourage the recipients to perform at least one good deed every four days, share their stories on the campaign’s website before passing on the bands to others.
The campaign implementers keep track of the bands and inspire more stories of good deeds to come.
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Hoang Duc Minh, Hung’s counterpart in the campaign’s northern region, said a number of people are either indifferent to others’ sufferings or help the needy subconsciously and ineffectively.
Le Thien Tri, a member of an organization called “Huong Toi Minh Bach” (Toward Transparency,) initiated the “Integrity Me” competition as he realized the conflicts in what youths think and act.
“They need to get spurred on to do the right thing, instead of just wanting to do so. The desired impetus needs to be backed up by the media. The ‘Integrity Me’ is intended to assemble innovative media ideas to nurture the righteous attitude and way of living,” Tri shared about his competition.
“In reality, the good does exist, but we tend to pay more attention to youths’ negative acts, which inadvertently accentuates the bad. We can not be nice to one another if we lose trust,” Minh shared.
Vo Ngoc Tu, 24, vice chair of Chuong Gio Club, said though a number of youngsters join charitable activities just for fun or for personal gains, many are dedicated to helping the needy.
The groups are particularly active during holidays, including Christmas and Lunar New Year.
They work tirelessly to create gifts and buy food and clothing and bring them to the poor, homeless and orphans.
Among such clubs are “Trai Tim Viet” (Vietnamese Hearts) Club in the northern city of Hai Phong, “Nang Am Yeu Thuong” (Sunshine of Love) in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, and Phu Ninh Fellowmen Association in the central province of Quang Nam.
Đăng ký: VietNam News