During their summer vacation, 8 Vietnamese students who are studying at the UK’s Lancaster University returned to their homeland to visit Agent Orange (AO)-affected children in Da Nang over the first week of August.

They are from Ha Noi and are very keen to participate in volunteer work to support the community.  They said that they had also been involved in charitable activities in the UK.

A young student talking with some of the AO children

Before arriving in Da Nang, the young guests had not known how to communicate with the local AO children because they had only watched them on TV.  However, the children took the initiative to break the ice, which took the young students by surprise.  Amongst the young volunteers was 20-year-old Mai Thu Phuong.  She said that it was hard to believe that these disadvantaged children, born with such deformities and disabilities, can read and write.  More surprisingly, they were very self-confident when interacting with strangers.  Another student, 21-year-old Nguyen Hoai Anh, said that she was very impressed by the AO children’s fondness for learning.  She added that some of them eagerly boasted about their good study results.

During their stay, the Hanoian students were involved in teaching the AO children how to make “banh chung” (square glutinous rice cakes), create paintings, and do puzzles.  In addition, they presented gifts of candies, cakes and cash totalling 20 million VND to the AO victims.  The visitors also gave 1 million VND each to 3 AO children whose families are very poor, as well as donated electric fans to 3 local shelters for AO victims.

The students said that they had taken many photos and made video clips of their meaningful visit.  Their aim is to set up a website about their volunteer trip to establish more links with other Vietnamese students who are studying in foreign countries.  They also remarked that this trip to Da Nang to help local AO children is part of their long-term project for charitable activities, rather than being just a trip for fun.

Teachers at the AO Victims’ Association said that the volunteers were very enthusiastic and sincere.  Even though they are from well-off families and their fathers are high-ranking officials, they got involved in removing weeds, cutting firewood, washing the faces of the AO children, and massaging their bodies.  The young students have demonstrated their sentimental attachment to their homeland despite living and studying abroad.