Korean volunteer exchanges with children at the kindergarten in Tien Son hamlet, Huong Son commune (Lang Giang district). Photo: Van Anh.

Friendship bridge

At the Viet Lap Kindergarten (Tan Yen district) these days, teachers are instructing pupils how to get water from the school's water filters. In August 2017, through connection with the provincial Union of Friendship Organisations, the school received two water filters, three water dispensers and 30 water containers worth 36 million VND in total, sponsored by the Thailand-Vietnam Friendship Association and Rotary Bang Kok Club.

Nguyen Thi Dan, Vice Rector of the school, said: "In the past, because there were no direct water treatment facilities, the school had to spend a lot of money buying water bottles in the market serving its activities but we were still not assured about the quality. 

After receiving the aid, the water filters and dispensers were distributed equally to the central area in Ly village and the auxiliary area in Hang Com village. Since then, the kindergarten has been filtering water itself to meet the needs of teachers and pupils. On average, the school saves about 1 million VND from buying water.

As a core organization in the activities of building peaceful and friendly relations with other countries in the world, the BUFO has actively cooperated with the Fatherland Front Committee and departments, agencies and organizations in the province in organizing people-to-people diplomacy programmes. 

The hand-over ceremony of RO water filter of Vietnam - Thailand Friendship Association and Rotary Bangkok to Viet Lap kindergarten school (Tan Yen district). Filed photo.

It has regularly connected with the People's Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) to introduce aid projects such as the HIV/AIDS care and treatment project funded by the Family Health International (FHI), and the goat raising model to improve household economy financed by Italian organization GTV for people in Son Dong district. 

At the same time, the BUFO has frequently contacted the Kinh Bac Association of Fellow-Countrymen in the Czech Republic and the Bac Giang Associations of Fellow-Countrymen in Germany, Russia, Poland and the European Union countries to exchange information about the friendship activities and people-to-people cooperation of compatriots from Bac Giang.

Promoting the effectiveness of programmes and projects

The provincial Union of Friendship Organisations now has eight bilateral friendship associations at the provincial level and 11 at district and city level. Over the past five years, it has gathered nearly 6,000 regular members, step by step confirming its role and status. 

Teacher in Viet Lap kindergarten school (Tan Yen district) instructs the children to use the water filter machine.

Since 2013, when the provincial People's Committee issued a programme to promote foreign non-governmental aid, Bac Giang province has created favorable conditions for the union to operate. Foreign NGO aid mobilization has been carried out in the right direction, focusing on priority areas in each period in line with the needs of the province, thereby contributing to solving social problems, reducing poverty, developing the economy and improving the people’s quality of life.

Nguyen Duc Trong, Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Union of Friendship Organisations, said in order to promote the effectiveness of aid resources, experience shows that friendship organizations should focus on attracting projects and programmes that suit the socio-economic development orientations of the province and localities. 

In the next term, the union will strive to increase mobilized aid by at least 20 percent compared to the previous term. To achieve the goal, the unit will direct its member organizations to develop programmes and projects calling for aid, targeting social welfare, health care, education and support for poor and disabled people ... 

It will strengthen its supervision over units and localities receiving funding, ensuring effectiveness, while coordinating and developing relations with the Bac Giang Associations of Fellow-Countrymen abroad to promote local images to international friends. 

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Vietnam-UK friendship association of Hanoi lauded for boosting bilateral ties

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Vietnam–Myanmar friendship associations seal cooperative pact

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Khoi Nguyen