[International] Vietnam Foster Care Connects Taiwanese and Vietnamese Youth, Collaborating with Local Healthcare to Protect Children's Health

Vietnam Foster Care collaborated with Taiwanese and Vietnamese educational and medical units to organize international volunteer service activities on May 5th and 6th. These activities not only provided child health promotion services and information but also introduced Taiwanese culture to local residents. The Vietnam Foster Care Center, in conjunction with the National Defense Medical Center's "Vietnam‧Moonlight International Volunteer Group," organized international volunteer service activities on May 5th and 6th at the relatively resource-scarce public health stations in Ngoc Son and Quyet Thang communes, Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. This initiative not only deepened civil cooperation between Taiwan and Vietnam but also jointly promoted children's health and well-being. The event was composed of faculty and students from the National Defense Medical Center's Vietnam‧Moonlight International Volunteer Group, who worked hand-in-hand with Vietnam Foster Care, local commune health station medical staff, and Vietnamese youth volunteers. Through courses such as child health assessments, nutrition education, vector-borne disease prevention, Taiwanese cultural exchange, and interactive games, children and families were guided to establish healthy lifestyle concepts, while simultaneously deepening exchanges between Taiwan and Vietnam in medical education, community services, and cross-cultural cooperation. Parent Bui Thi Dan, who participated in the event, stated: "I am very grateful to Vietnam Foster Care, the National Defense Medical Center, and the health stations for bringing such a meaningful and joyful event to our community. Children rarely have the opportunity to participate in such courses, and everyone was very excited and had a lot of fun this time. I hope there will be more similar activities in the future, especially during the summer vacation, to give children more opportunities to learn, interact, and explore new things." This event saw the participation of 58 family members, serving 58 children, and completing 39 child health assessments. In addition to providing health promotion services, it also allowed young Taiwanese medical talents to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam's grassroots public health and community healthcare systems, and to exchange health promotion strategies with local medical personnel, accumulating cross-cultural cooperation and international service experience. The most distinctive feature of this collaboration was the integration of local public health stations, Vietnam Foster Care, and Taiwanese medical and educational resources to jointly plan health promotion activities that meet local needs. Associate Professor Fan Hsiu-lung from the National Defense Medical Center pointed out, "Students entering the community and understanding different cultures and medical environments are an important part of medical education. We look forward to continuous cooperation to allow young medical talents to learn through service, grow through exchange, and transform their professional knowledge into practical contributions to society." Hoang Ya-ko, representative of Vietnam Foster Care, said: "What is truly important about international volunteer service is not just completing an activity, but establishing a platform for continuous cooperation." Additionally, she expressed gratitude to Taipei Tech for their generous donation to help purchase milk for the children during the event. The National Defense Medical Center's Vietnam‧Moonlight International Volunteer Group, Vietnam Foster Care, and Vietnamese youth volunteers worked together, using a fun-filled educational approach to allow children to learn through games, interactions, and health courses, leaving precious and profound memories for community families. One of the classes involved introducing Vietnamese children to Taiwanese culture and Mandarin, covering Taiwan's geography, Taipei 101, characteristic foods, and Hakka culture, followed by a hands-on paper umbrella making session, creating a lively and laughter-filled atmosphere. Le Quynh Chi, a Vietnamese volunteer who has participated in volunteer services with the United Nations and several international NGOs, shared: "This is one of the most rewarding volunteer activities I have ever participated in. Throughout the entire event, I was able to be truly engaged, not only accompanying the children in their learning but also establishing much exchange and cooperation with the National Defense Medical Center and other Vietnamese volunteers. I look forward to having the opportunity to participate in volunteer activities organized by Vietnam Foster Care again in the future." Vietnam Foster Care stated that the event established a collaborative platform to jointly respond to community needs. In the future, they will continue to work with various partners and the Vietnamese local government to deepen civil cooperation between Taiwan and Vietnam, build long-term partnerships, and jointly create a more comprehensive child health support network to benefit more disadvantaged children and families. (Editor: Liu Hsiang-hua)