Welcoming International Children’s Day on June 1, Chairwoman Trinh Thi Hien Tran of the HCMC Young Pioneer Council talked about the city’s preparation to better serve children residents this summer as the shifting demographics heavily influence HCMC’s overarching strategy.
“This marks the very first summer for HCMC following the massive expansion of its administrative boundaries,” she explained. “When the territory is vastly broader, the population denser, and the demographic makeup far more diverse, the demands naturally escalate. Therefore, to get the ball rolling, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (Youth Union in short) places a premium on fortifying the personnel in charge of summer programs at the grassroots level, drastically intensifying our grasp of the local children’s specific situations. Simultaneously, we’re equipping the supervising cadres with supplementary skills and advanced methodologies for working with and rallying the youth. Ultimately, we perceive these as the most crucial stages to adequately prepare for this year’s summer activities”, she said.
Volunteer squads participating in sweeping campaigns like Green Summer, Red Flamboyant, Pink Vacation, and Green March are also gearing up for a plethora of youth-centric activities. They’re closely coordinating with local authorities to host periodic summer gatherings and create substantially more playgrounds for the kids during their break.
Discussing possible solutions for children to enthusiastically participate in activities this summer to minimize their screen time, the Chairwoman said the Youth Union, HCMC Children’s House, and HCMC Youth Cultural House will sustain familiar activities like summer camps, festivals, book fairs, and sports tournaments. Concurrently, they are aggressively ramping up community engagement, skill-building sessions, and the robust development of artistic talents, physical fitness, and creative thinking for youngsters.
At the grassroots level, summer activities are reportedly designed in a more accessible and diverse manner. Children will have the opportunity to delve into history, visit monuments, cultivate a reading culture, and experience local tourism. Alternatively, they can engage in immersive activities like “A Day in the Military,” alongside practical skills such as fire and drowning prevention, healthcare, and enhancing mental well-being.
While equipping children with digital knowledge is an absolute requisite, it’s paramount to help them utilize technology efficiently, ensuring they aren’t overly reliant on electronic devices.
This year, the Youth Union is debuting “Digital Summer” volunteer squads. Aside from supporting citizens during digital transformation, these squads will host activities to help children elevate their digital awareness and tech skills via summer playgrounds.
Chairwoman Trinh Thi Hien Tran stressed HCMC guarantees every child a fair chance to participate in summer activities. The agenda prioritizes on-the-spot activities held weekly through regular gatherings. Youth Union and Young Pioneer Council cadres are putting in efforts to mobilize the largest number of children to join in these meaningful activities.
Moreover, the Youth Union pays profound attention to disadvantaged cohorts, including orphans by the Covid-19 pandemic, kids in shelters, and children with disabilities, fiercely ensuring they can access and reap these benefits just like their peers.
However, the Chairwoman stressed that taking proper care of children during the summer break is undeniably a massive undertaking that demands the united efforts of multiple sectors and numerous agencies, rather than just falling squarely on the shoulders of the Youth Union and Young Pioneer Council.
Currently, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Youth Union, various agencies and units across the city are aggressively rolling out comprehensive support and care programs for children, especially those grappling with arduous circumstances.
Museums, cultural destinations, tourist attractions, and entertainment complexes also boast an array of policies offering free or heavily discounted tickets and service subsidies, essentially paving the way for kids to fully engage in these experiential activities over the summer. For instance, right after the “City Leaders Meet and Listen to Children in 2026” program, kids hailing from highly difficult backgrounds were treated to a vibrant performance at Phu Tho Multi-purpose Circus and Performing Arts Theater.
The core message of the “City Leaders Meet and Listen to Children in 2026” program that just took place this past weekend is unequivocally clear: ‘Save the very best for the children,’ simply because investing in the youth equates to investing in the future of both the city and the nation.
Today’s summer activities shouldn’t merely ride the coattails of previous years’ successes; they desperately need to focus on correcting the lingering limitations and hurdles of the past, leveraging all available forces, and aggressively mobilizing a wealth of societal resources to invest in the well-being of the kids.
For the Youth Union specifically, activities will reportedly be heavily centralized to fully harness the specialized training expertise of union members and young adults. This ultimately aims to drastically elevate the quality of summer gatherings, while heavily focusing on enhancing drowning prevention skills, digital literacy, and firmly instilling in the children a profound sense of pride for the city that holds the distinct honor of bearing President Ho Chi Minh’s name.
