Take Off in June: Resilient People Spread Positive Messages

With the theme "Every Step Marks a Life", Take Off in June will feature stories of people who are persevering in their efforts to make themselves and those around them happy, spreading positive messages, and contributing to a better community and society.

TIRELESS STEPS

The first story told in  Take Off is about a marathon runner, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet Dung, 84 years old. She is famous in the marathon community of Quang Ninh for her passionate participation in every race. Even in her 80s, Mrs. Dung enjoys collecting medals and clothes from each race, a passion that few people her age share.

So far, Mrs. Viet Dung has participated in three marathon races in Quang Ninh. After each race, she still feels healthy without signs of fatigue. Sometimes, she even feels a bit empty when the "itchy feet" feeling hasn't gone away.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Viet Dung said she was not a professional athlete, just a sports enthusiast who trains to stay healthy. After researching online, she chose running because it is good for the heart and joints. From her first 5km race in 2023, she gradually increased her running distance to 10km, 12km and more.

In her 80s, Mrs. Dung still gets up early every day to run. "Running a marathon does not discriminate against age; it's about whether you train or not," she said.

"I run 5-7 km every day, five days a week, and then take a day off. When I feel healthy, I can run 10km, 11km," said Mrs. Dung. "Even with knee pain or age, as long as you train persistently, you can overcome it."

Mrs. Viet Dung said that from now on, she will train for races of 10km and more because "10km is now easy for me."

GREEN FOOTPRINTS

Diving into  the blackened rivers for 5-6 hours,  despite the scorching sun or heavy rain, collecting waste, this has been  the weekly routine of the Green Hanoi Club for nearly two years.

With the motto "Clean wherever we go," after surveying each area, the group usually cleans short sections thoroughly to restore cleanliness to the areas they pass. Green Hanoi Club prioritizes  heavily polluted rivers and canals with large accumulations of long-standing waste, such as the To Lich River and Nhue River. Ensuring the safety of participants is a top priority, with much thought given to how to clean up these  sites  while keeping everyone safe. With meaningful activities for the capital, the Green Hanoi Club was awarded the National Volunteer Award 2023.

Recalling the early days of founding the Green Hanoi Club,  Nguyen Tien Huy, the founder of the club, said that at the end of 2022, when he decided to start the project, he was alone. "I called my friends hoping they would support my idea. But out of 10 calls, only 1 or 2 agreed. There were more objections than support, and I felt a bit disappointed", Tien Huy recalled.

Tien Huy has never forgotten the time when he was pricked by a needle while picking up trash. After this incident, he prioritized the safety of volunteers by  arranging tetanus shots, finding thicker protective clothing, and using support tools to minimize direct contact with waste.

"So far, we are trying to maintain this work for as long as possible. What makes me very happy and proud is that after a period of activity, we have revisited  those places and seen very positive changes. This motivates me and the members of Green Hanoi," Tien Huy said.

"We were born on fertile land, let's protect the environment so that our children won't have to live on waste. As a young person, I hope to make   a small contribution  to protecting our living environment," Tien Huy added.

PRESERVING "VIETNAMESE COLORS"

Bringing traditional culture to life, using  folk materials from Hang Trong paintings for Vietnamese design, and providing resources for the design industry are the goals of the Vietnamese Colors project. This project has been implemented by young people since 2013.

Few people know that the author of this special project, Trinh Thu Trang, was initially unfamiliar with Hang Trong painting, a famous but fading traditional painting genre in Vietnam. Starting from the desire to understand, preserve, and appreciate traditional values, Trinh Thu Trang decided to give Hang Trong paintings a new, vibrant, and powerful life by combining their unique features with modern technology, digitizing, and guiding the application of these colors in graphic design, fashion, interior design, and handicrafts. This has led to practical applications, and the designs are embraced by craft villages and brands, creating a unique identity for made-in-Vietnam products.

"When I started my journey, I was just an ordinary person, a lecturer, a designer, a mother, and a daughter like everyone else. I faced difficulties in everything: experience, and time, but I started anyway. As time  went on, things gradually became clearer, and the more mistakes I made, the more I learned. When I started, I also had the opportunity to meet my mentors. I believe every step I take is a foundation for the next, which will  eventually  pave the way for others to join me," Thu Trang said.

Take Off in June with the theme "Every Step Marks a Life" brought the audience pure inspiration, love for life, youthful enthusiasm, and a deep connection with culture and roots. Watch the program in the video below: