The camp was verysignificant, stated Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Foreign Minister andChairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (SCOV).
Duringtheir three week tour, the young expatriates saw for themselves theachievements that Vietnam has made during the past 20 years of therenovation process. They also now better understand the enormoussacrifices their predecessors made for national independence andfreedom, said Son.
He added that he hoped the campers, on returning home, will take back with them fond memories of their motherland, Vietnam .
LeHuong Thao, from Bulgaria , said she felt very lucky to be chosen forthe camp, as she has met and made a lot of friends from 30 countries aswell as Vietnam .
The camp made me feel more attached to my homeland and more proud of being Vietnamese, she said.
Duringthe closing ceremony, the young overseas Vietnamese and young peoplefrom Tuyen Quang sang and danced together and played various folk games.
TheSCOV used the occasion to present gifts of 10 million VND (around 500USD) to the Tuyen Quang Study Promotion Fund and 20 million VND to theprovince’s fund for Agent Orange/dioxin victims.
The campers alsocollected 20 million VND for the Tuyen Quang provincial Gratitude Fundand the Bulgarian Vietnamese youngsters donated 1,000 USD to theprovince’s fund to help children with heart disease.
Earlier theyoungsters had visited the Tan Trao Banyan Tree, the Tan Trao museumwhere many of Uncle Ho’s belongings are on display and the tent at NaLua where Uncle Ho lived and worked during the war of nationalresistance against the French.
Also on August 1, the delegation visited the Hung King’s ancestral lands and burnt incense at the Hung temple.
The2010 Vietnam Summer Camp programme is organised by the SCOV for youngVietnamese who have recorded excellent results in their studies andother activities in Vietnamese communities around the world./.