Pouring concrete to build roads, carrying sand, installing each device for the playground or wading into the fields to harvest rice with people,... those are jobs that many students of Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports have never experienced.
However, during the two days of participating in the 2026 Green Summer Campaign in Cao Loc commune (Lang Son), those seemingly unfamiliar tasks became the most memorable experiences of youth.
On July 17, in an exchange with Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Luong Van Tung - Member of the Provincial Youth Union Executive Committee, Secretary of the Youth Union of Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports said that the trip is not only aimed at bringing practical projects to the locality but also an opportunity for students to step out of the familiar learning environment and directly experience life in a border commune that is still facing many difficulties.
On July 15 and 16, nearly 100 union members and students from universities and colleges in Bac Ninh province jointly implemented many activities such as building "Youth Road", "Playground for children", supporting people to harvest agricultural products, environmental sanitation, visiting policy families and organizing activities for children. The total resources for implementing the program are more than 100 million VND.
According to Mr. Tung, among the many tasks that have been implemented, the "Playground for Children" project left the most emotions.
Many students who are familiar with training grounds and gymnasiums have never used shovels to pour concrete or transport materials. Although the work is quite hard, no one is discouraged. When the playground is completed, looking at the young children eagerly waiting to play, all fatigue seems to disappear," Mr. Tung recounted.
Not only supporting people, young people also receive help from local people. During harvest seasons, people wholeheartedly guide students on how to harvest rice, sharing about life in the border area. These simple conversations help many people understand more about the difficulties that people are facing as well as the value of sharing.
As one of the union members participating in the campaign, Ha Linh said that the trip brought many experiences different from what she had imagined. "This is the first time I have directly built roads, waded through fields to harvest rice with people. Each job is quite hard, but when I see people and children happily receiving the results, I feel that all efforts are worth it," Ha Linh shared.
The short journey is also full of challenges. The long journey, mountain weather and the volume of outdoor work require endurance, while most students are not used to manual labor. To complete the tasks on schedule, the groups must support each other, the healthy person takes on heavy work, and the skillful person takes on suitable items.
What Mr. Luong Van Tung cherishes most after the trip is not the completed projects, but the change in the awareness of young people.
When directly wading through mud to harvest rice with people, participating in road construction and experiencing the deprivation in the border area, you truly feel the value of labor, know how to cherish more what you have and understand that dedication is not something too great, but starting from small, practical actions," he shared.
According to the Secretary of the School Youth Union, such trips not only bring support to the locality but also contribute to fostering the spirit of responsibility, compassion and dedication of young people.
I always believe that the most precious thing about youth is not how far we have gone, but how much we have contributed to the community. When you dare to step out of your comfort zone to share with others, each young person is also growing up day by day," Mr. Tung said.
There are trips that are not measured by the kilometers traveled or the number of completed projects. The greatest value lies in the silent things left in each person. For many students of Bac Ninh University of Physical Education and Sports, Green Summer 2026 closes with smiles in the border area, but also opens up another journey, a journey of young people who know how to live more responsibly with the community.
