(VNF) - A conference to review activities for five years of the “Nurturing the seeds of friendship” movement (2012-2017) took place on the morning of August 27^th at the Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Starting from the idea of helping Cambodian students in Vietnam, the programme was officially launched in 2012.

VCFA President Vu Mao speaking at the opening ceremony.

Recalling the memories of the movement, Vu Mao, President of the Vietnam – Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) said the idea of starting the movement began to take root in 2011, when the President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong and him agreed that the Association should support the Cambodian students in Vietnam.

The idea was multiplied into a movement and formally launched under the name of "Nurturing the seeds of friendship" at the Executive committee meeting of the VCFA in February 2012. To date, after 5 years of implementation with active participation of the VCFA, the movement has been spread in all chapters.

In that spirit, as a branch of the VCFA, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy has become a big “nurturing garden”, contributing significantly to the development of nurture seeds of Vietnam-Cambodia friendship.

Vice President of the University and Head of International Student Management Office, Nguyen Quoc Tien said, by 2017 there will be 452 foreign medical graduates coming back to work in Cambodia. Many of them have attain high positions in and outside the Cambodian health sector, actively contributing to the cause of caring for the Cambodian people as well as fostering solidarity between the peoples of the two countries.

He stressed that in the training program, the university has added more contents introducing the country and its people; organising teaching Vietnamese for Cambodian students and practical activities such as Graduation Ceremony, sponsoring students in the province and introducing them to the sponsoring units, etc., to help them develop their professional capacity and improve students' relationships with teachers, feeling and respect for the school and Vietnam.

At the meeting at the Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

In the past five years, the "Nurturing the seeds of friendship" movement has achieved remarkable results. Initiated as a model of inpiduals sponsoring students, now the programme has expanded with more types of sponsorships, including inpidual sponsor, organisation sponsor, donations from benefactors and policy recommendations. To date, nearly 100 Cambodian students have been appointed by the VCFA to their families in Hanoi and the VCFA’s chapter in Thai Binh province.

In the next five years, the VCFA will continue to act as the coordinating unit in cooperation with the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Cambodian Embassy in Vietnam to carry out the programme, helping the Cambodian students studying in Vietnam able to contribute to the development of Cambodia when they return and enhacing the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, especially to youths.

On the other hand, the VCFA will finding support from various sources to ensure the programme effectiveness as well as promoting cooperation with the Cambodian Embassy in Hanoi and the Cambodian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City in introducing students to the programme annually.

At the conference, representatives of Cambodian students studying at the university, expressed their gratitude to the Association, members of the Association. Thanked to sponsored parents, the Cambodian student has got used to the life in Vietnam. To them, sponsored families are like a second home far away from their country. They not only receive supports from foster parents but also can share their joys and sorrows when living abroad. Their experience of their time in Vietnam under the warm care of the Vietnamese volunteers will never be forgotten.

At the same time, they affirmed that they would do their best to contribute to the development of Cambodia, contributing to building and developing the friendship between the two nations, true to the programme’s name.

VUFO Vice President Don Tuan Phong appreciating the active and effective activities of the VCFA.

Appreciate the active and effective activities of the VCFA, VUFO Vice President cum Secretary General Don Tuan Phong stressed that the sponsorship activities and assistance to students in Cambodia is an important initiative of the VCFA, aims at helping the Cambodian student get use to the life in Vietnam thus strengthening the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia, particularly in the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Year 2017.

On this occasion, the VUFO's Vice President thanked the agencies and organisations, inpiduals have actively supported the programme; families participating in the programme taking care Cambodian students and treat them as family members.

Expressing his wish to replicate this meaningful movement, Phong said that the VUFO would ask the VCFA to study the application of the model, undertaking the pilot sponsorship programme helping Lao students studying in Vietnam.

Cambodian Ambassador to Vietnam Park Nguon Hong hailing VCFA’s practical initiative "Nurturing the seeds of friendship".

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Cambodia to Vietnam, Prak Nguon Hong congratulated the remarkable achievements of the VCFA, appreciating the great contribution of the Association, led by President Vu Mao with practical initiative "Nurturing the seeds of friendship".

Expressing his support for the VCFA's five-year work plan, the Ambassador also reminded Cambodian students studying in Vietnam that they should strive to study, respect and abide by the school rules. It will be the greatest reward to the foster parents - their sponsors, the VCFA, the Embassy and the Royal Government of Cambodia.

On the occasion, organisations and members who made active contributions in the "Nurturing the seeds of friendship" programme have been awarded with certificates of merit.

Gifts also have been presented to Cambodian students who achieves high academic results in Vietnam./.

VCFA President Vu Mao presenting certificates of merit to organisations who made active contributions in the programme.

VUFO Vice President cum Secretary General Don Tuan Phong presenting certificates of merit to the foster parents who participated in the programme.

Delegates, Cambodian students and their foster parents posing for a group photo.

Translated by Minh Chau