“50 people took a 12-hour-long bus journey to visit the Niu Village where there is no electricity, phone signal and city dust”. That is the note of Tran Song Hoai Nam, a 21-year-old student majoring in Digital Art Design at the FPT University when participating in the programme “7 days of experience” in Niu and Ca Roong 2 villages in Thuong Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province in mid-December 2024.

FPT University students have memorable memories in the mountainous commune of Thuong Trach bordering Viet Nam and Laos. Photo: P.V

According to Nam, Niu and Ca Roong 2 are without electricity grid, completely unfamiliar with the living conditions of the group of students from Da Nang. Therefore, a week here was a real challenge for the group members, especially those who have never experienced a training course or a course on adapting to the harsh climate of the Viet Nam - Laos border area.

According to the programme's requirements, students were self-sufficient in living and cooking in conditions lacking electric light and directly took part in useful activities in the community such as growing vegetables, building toilets and garbage pits, making clothes hangers or cleaning up in residential areas.

With the theme "Sow light, reap love", Hoai Nam and his friends installed 10 sets of solar lights along major roads in the two villages, thereby significantly improving the living conditions of locals.

In addition, the group gave gifts including cakes, candies, clothes to people and children at the Tan Thuong Kindergarten in Ban and Ca Roong 2 villages, and the Bo Trach Boarding Ethnic School.

At the same time, they paid a visit to the Ca Roong Border Station and learned about the history at the Truong Son Martyrs Memorial Temple on Road 20 Quyet Thang.

Returning from the "7-day experience" journey in his student life, Le Thanh Tam (born in 2003), majoring in Digital Marketing, clearly remembered the eyes and hugs of the children in the border area.

Tam said that when stepping outside in the 12-13 degree weather, everyone felt cold and wanted to go inside immediately, but there were children still walking barefoot because they did not have sandals.

"I looked into the eyes of the children and saw in them big dreams but limited by circumstances. Besides, there were sincere hugs from the children when they met and when they left. That was the motivation for me to continue trying, making efforts to save so that each journey would be more meaningful to help local people and children", Tam shared. That saving, for Tam, is sometimes a school supply, a new hat, a game, a drawing or a hair clip.

According to the representative of FPT University, the "7-day experience" programme is an annual event organised with the hope of spreading positive values ​​from students to the community.

This winter, through the exchange activities, giving gifts and helping people in Thuong Trach Commune, students had the opportunity to deeply feel the difficult life in the border area, thereby raising community awareness and compassion, and at the same time, perfecting life skills, and discovering their hidden potential to become responsible and visionary "global citizens".

This programme was completely in line with the goal of comprehensive personal development with soft skills for students that the university is aiming for.

"Going to many places in the commune, I had more experiences as well as met many kind people and young teachers who are passionate about their profession and doing many meaningful things. The trip may be tiring but full of laughter. For me, 7 days were not long or short but enough for me to see, understand and experience what I need to go through", Hoai Nam shared.

Reporting by LAM VIEN - Translating by M.DUNG