Border youth friendship village handed over to Laos

Addressing the ceremony, First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Le Quoc Phong said the village is a symbol of bilateral cooperation between the two youth unions. It will provide a place for young people to settle down, and serve as a key force in socio-economic development, national defence and security in the border area. 

He hoped that the Lao side would effectively run the village and continue to build new production models to spur local socio-economic growth, contributing to strengthening friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations’ youngsters. 

Lying in the villages of Noongkook, Kengbit, Sopnhuong, Pholom and Nakham, the project sprawls over 1,034ha and costs 75.2 billion VND (3.26 million USD) in non-refundable official development assistance, 5.53 billion VND (240,000 USD) of which was sourced from the Lao government for site clearance. 

The next component will be developing rubber cultivation and processing to create jobs to local young residents, using fund from the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG). 

Built in August 2012, the village is currently home to a community cultural house, housing for youngsters, a kindergarten, a medical station, a canteen and an agro-forestry technology display area. 

In coordination with the two youth unions, the VRG has planted 500ha of rubber and built 10 houses for local young people. 

Following the ceremony, the two youth unions presented gifts to 10 households living in the village. 

On the occasion, young medical staff from the central province of Ha Tinh offered free health check-ups and medicines to over 300 Lao residents.