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Senior Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thanh, head of the Engineering Company Rotation 5 and Commanding Officer of the Vietnamese peacekeeping force in Abyei, presents a shirt and hat bearing the red flag with a yellow star to the principal of Abyei Inter-Level High School. |
Held to mark the 96th anniversary of the foundation day of the Viet Nam Women’s Union (October 20, 1930 - 2026), the activity helped strengthen solidarity and friendship between Vietnamese peacekeepers and the local community while promoting Vietnamese culture and the values of its people to international friends.
In a joyful atmosphere, representatives of the Engineering Company Rotation 5 presented gifts to the school and 10 outstanding students. Though modest in material value, the gifts conveyed the sincere affection, care, and encouragement of Vietnamese blue beret soldiers for Abyei’s younger generation, inspiring the students to work hard, continue learning, and strive for a better future.
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A representative of the Engineering Company Rotation 5’s Women’s Union chapter presents gifts to outstanding female students. |
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Teaching the students how to fold paper airplanes |
A highlight of the program was the lively cultural exchange between the unit’s personnel and the students. Members of the company’s Women’s Union and Youth Union chapters personally taught the children how to fold paper into colorful, simple crafts. The activity brought joy while allowing the students to develop their creativity and dexterity and strengthen their bonds with Vietnamese peacekeepers.
One particularly memorable moment came when the students and Vietnamese peacekeepers enthusiastically launched paper airplanes into the sky. Folded by the children themselves, the small planes carried their laughter, joy, and innocent dreams as they soared above Abyei. More than a simple game, the activity conveyed a message of faith, hope, and aspiration for a better future for disadvantaged children in the area. Each paper airplane represented a wish for their dreams to take flight, soar high and far, and gradually become reality. Through this activity, the Vietnamese peacekeepers hoped to encourage the children to keep learning, nurture their ambitions, and work toward a brighter future.
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A female member of the Engineering Company Rotation 5 presents a gift to a female student. |
The students also learned and sang along to the song “Nhu co Bac trong ngay dai thang” (As If Uncle Ho were here on the day of great victory), a familiar Vietnamese song associated with the joy of victory, the aspiration for peace, and national solidarity. Despite language and cultural differences, the song’s lively melody served as a bridge between the two communities, bringing Viet Nam’s people, country, and cultural traditions closer to local students.
On behalf of the school’s leadership, teachers, and students, Santino Jok Mijak, principal of Abyei Inter-Level High School, expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation for the goodwill shown by Viet Nam’s Engineering Company Rotation 5.
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Members of the Engineering Company Rotation 5 pose for a joint photo with the school’s teachers and students. |
According to Principal Santino Jok Mijak, the program brought joy and encouragement to the students in their studies while helping teachers and students learn more about Viet Nam, its people, and its culture. The care and spirit of sharing demonstrated by Vietnamese peacekeepers left a positive impression and helped strengthen the friendship and close ties between the school and the Engineering Company Rotation 5.
Translated by Tran Hoai