After class, Nguyen Van Tam (final year student of the French Department, Hue University of Foreign Languages) spends time exploring the festivals and major art programs, as well as national and international art groups participating in Hue Festival 2018 to do the job of a volunteer well. As a senior student with fluent communication in French, Tam still finds it necessary for him to have more knowledge.
Skills training for Hue Festival 2018 volunteers
Tam said: "When registering as a volunteer for the Festival, I plan to learn more about Hue's cultural heritage, products and people. At present, I am quite confident that I will accomplish the task well." Tam has participated in many activities such as three times attending the Francophone Summer School for French-speaking students in Southeast Asia held in Hue, Hanoi, and Bangkok (Thailand).
Having outdone more than 1,600 applicants, Chau Van Hao and Phung Thao My, fourth year students in Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy excitedly await this event. Both can communicate in English and used to be volunteers of the Festival 2016.
According to Hao, the most essential thing of each volunteer is enthusiasm, passion and effort. "I feel very proud and promise to do my best to contribute to the success of the Hue Festival this year."
With the lovely, small girl Le Thi Ngoc My, a grade 11 student specializing in mathematics of Hue University of Sciences, in addition to learning about Hue culture, cuisine and tourism, she also spends time improving her skills of communication and presentation so that she can introduce Hue to delegates and guests in case of having an opportunity. "I want to promote more images of Hue to national and international tourists," Ngoc My confided.
To become a volunteer of the Festival 2018, young people have to go through two rounds of pre-qualification and recruitment. From more than 1,600 initial profiles, the board selected 300 volunteers to set up a volunteer team.
In addition to the priorities of mastering the knowledge of the Hue Festival, volunteers must be dynamic and enthusiastic, have good skills of behaving, communicating and handling situations. Recently, volunteers have been trained for the last time to get more information about how to organize events, how to solve some common problems, functions and tasks, as well as contact details when necessary, and took a study tour to get ready for official activities at the end of this April.
Mr. Ngo Ha Trung, Head of the Youth Union of the Provincial Youth Union School, in charge of the volunteer program for Hue Festival 2018 added: "Basing on the criteria that the volunteers met in the selection or other professional skills, we divide volunteers into 20 groups to work in different areas, festivals and places to support the Organization Board. In each position, based on their strengths, they are further trained to do the job well."
According to Ms. Hoang Thi Phuong Hien, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union, selected volunteers are active, enthusiastic, knowledgeable in Hue history, culture, people and cuisine. Through the training, the volunteers' awareness becomes very good. After participation, those who have successfully accomplished their tasks will be rewarded by the Provincial Youth Union as a recognition and a motivation for other participants in the next events.
Story and photo: Tuan Khoa