Mai's Journey

My name is Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai, 23 years old, a recent graduate of the Law University, Hanoi. I have a dream of working in the field of Human Rights and development.

Like many other young people, I love surfing the net, playing computer games and reading books. Consequently, I am short-sighted and have to wear glasses. I’m afraid of being somewhat blinkered, and only knowing about things in books. Thus, the desire to travel and to get first-hand experience motivates me.

On the occasion of International Youth Day, 12 August, I was lucky to be chosen as the winner of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) contest - Youth Initiative to promote volunteerism for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). My idea of “ A journey towards a better future” will be realized through this sponsorship.

I will visit 23 provinces up and down the country, especially the 13 provinces with the lowest MDG index ranking according to the latest MDG report published by the United Nations. I’m setting off on 3 September and finishing before International Volunteer Day, 5 December.

I hope that, through the opportunity of this journey, you and I will come to understand more about the gaps between provinces across Vietnam. Why don’t you follow me on my journey to discover real-life stories, even if you may have different wishes and dreams. I believe that every one of us can contribute something to the realization of MDG – a way for Vietnamese people to live more prosperous lives.

Dream and act, as we are the future of Viet Nam.