A project to encourage and train volunteers to work for disadvantaged youth was completed on May after its successful run in Ho Chi Minh City since late 2005.

The project was jointly administered by the international non-governmental organisation Education for Development and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

It was set up to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals to relieve poverty worldwide.

The project helped train 96 individuals, including 56 women, in volunteer management, and provided US$27,000 worth of small grants to local organisations in Ho Chi Minh City to support innovative projects, Ruth Frans, EFD’s co-ordinator in Vietnam, said.

According to UNV Programme Officer Sandra Veloso, as Vietnam continues to work towards improving the lives of disadvantaged children and youth, it is critical to mobilise the vast knowledge and talent of its people. Volunteers have a tremendous role to play in this effort.

“We need to continue to raise awareness about the need for volunteers and the benefits volunteers contribute to Vietnamese society,” she added. “This project has made an important and positive contribution to this effort.”