Teaching swimming for poor children, donating blood to save lives, and collecting used bottles to raise funds to help poor students are some activities for the community that Mr Bui Dang Toan, lecturer at the Faculty of Physical Education, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Da Nang University of Physical Education and Sports has done with all of his passions.

Mr. Bui Dang Toan (right) presents gifts to disadvantaged students. Photo: HONG QUANG

Till date, Mr Bui Dang Toan has participated in numerous charity trips and witnessed many difficulties of children in poor rural areas. Therefore, he had intended to organize swimming lessons for children, helping them to acquire swimming skills to prevent drowning. He already organized 5 support teams in Son Ha District, Quang Ngai Province, Quang Nam Province and Da Nang to train more than 300 people on safe swimming and drowning prevention programs, as well as 3 community football training classes for upland children.

In addition, he also opens safe swimming and drowning prevention classes for students at Thai Phien High School, Thanh Khe High School, and Village of Hope completely free of charge with around 30 children per school.

In order to have funds to help poor students, he established a Club “You and I” having around 30 members who are university students to carry out some activities such as collecting used bottles, designing handmade goods, and selling handmade products to raise funds for many charity programs and giving gifts for children at the Center supporting for Agent Orange and Unlucky Children Campus 3 in Da Nang and children in Quang Ninh, Quang Tri provinces.

On an annual basis, he has organized volunteer activities such as blood donation, visiting and presenting gifts to poor students and disadvantaged families, supporting the construction of charity houses for needy families, and implementing free-of-charge swimming lessons for poor children in the city. In addition, he also conducts other volunteer activities related to environmental protection which attracts a large number of students and are highly appreciated for their scale and effectiveness

He has organized 16 volunteering activities in the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Quang Binh, and Quang Tri with a total cost of gifts worth nearly VND 500 million, attracting a large number of youth union members in the school to participate. He also helps people do different works such as repairing houses, cleaning accommodations, advising and supporting health care, and guiding and training new training methods for 70 sports officials in Phuoc Son District, Quang Nam Province.

Moreover, he has donated 33,000 cinnamon seedlings to people in Bac Tra My District, Quang Nam Province with a total value of VND 50 million. Also, a bunch of free classes such as dance classes and free communication classes have been organized for more than 30 youth union members; drowning prevention training, safe swimming, and child abuse prevention skills have also been organized with more than 1000 participants.

During the time of taking the exams, he and the members of the Executive Committee of the Youth Union of his university found and supported thousands of rented accommodations, mobilized 400 free meals, and counselled and supported 1,414 candidates. In addition, he also organizes activities to raise awareness of integration to support students to develop social skills, which continues to be promoted through the organization of information forums about learning programs to improve computer skills, foreign languages, and skills.

In his professional work, as a lecturer and a faculty assistant, he always fulfils his duties well and successfully completes the assigned workload. He has also chaired 3 grassroots-level scientific research projects, which were accepted by the school's scientific council and rated as good or better. Although he has been surrounded by teaching duties, he has always spent his free time participating in volunteer activities for the community to fulfill his life motto of dedicating to the community.

Reporting by HONG QUANG- Translating by T.VY