For a group of close friends who began volunteering with the program in Grade 8 at Saigon Practice Secondary School (Saigon University, District 5), the journey has been a long one. Back then, the Compassionate Bookshelf warehouse was still located in Binh Thanh District.

Rekindling the love for books

Nguyen Minh Huy, a 10th grader at the High School for the Gifted – Vietnam National University HCMC, shared:
“I’ve been volunteering for the Compassionate Bookshelf for two years now. I first learned about the project from a classmate while preparing for my entrance exams. Volunteering gave me a break from the stressful study routine. Since then, whenever I have free time, I join my friends to help out at the warehouse.”

For Nguyen Hao Nhien, a 10th grader at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted and the first to encourage his friends to join, the chance to work with so many valuable books was especially rewarding.
“Whenever we found an interesting title, our group would get excited and start discussing its content, or sometimes just share a memorable quote,” Hao Nhien said. After finishing the work, the students often browsed the shelves and even used their own savings to buy books they loved.

Similarly, Dinh Phuc Hung, a 10th grader at the High School for Practice Education (HCMC University of Education), said he joined with the hope of helping other students in need.
“Besides supporting others, I also get to discover new titles or revisit my favorite ones. It’s both exciting and fulfilling,” Phuc Hung shared.

A meaningful start to the new year

Having just completed their transition into high school, the young volunteers continued to pursue their passion for books. Since late 2023, the Compassionate Bookshelf has opened a booth at Thu Duc Book Street, making travel more challenging. Luckily, the opening of the Ben Thanh–Suoi Tien metro line, with a stop in Thu Duc, gave them the perfect way to begin their New Year journey together.

Hao Nhien added that despite the long travel time during New Year’s, he was determined to join. “Being able to work alongside my close friends on something that benefits society makes me feel truly fulfilled,” he said.

Nguyen Thanh Lam, a 10th grader at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School, also shared his feelings: “Books are where humanity preserves its knowledge. It’s wonderful to share that with others. The Compassionate Bookshelf delivers books to students in disadvantaged areas, and as a student myself, I wanted to contribute to that effort. That’s why I chose to volunteer during New Year instead of going out with friends.”

Trần Thanh Hoài, Deputy Director of Compassionate Bookshelf Co., Ltd – a social enterprise established in 2018 – said the company was created to professionally manage both the Compassionate Bookshelf and House of Wisdom initiatives, which have been running since 2017.

Over the past nine years, the Compassionate Bookshelf has donated more than 27,000 bookshelves (1.6 million books) to 3,300 schools and communities across all 63 provinces in Vietnam, as well as in parts of Laos, reaching over 3.2 million readers.

Meanwhile, more than 310 Houses of Wisdom have been set up in 17 provinces of Vietnam and five other countries (Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the US), offering both online and offline learning opportunities free of charge to over 10,500 members.

Speaking with Thanh Nien, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Lifelong Learning, founder of the House of Wisdom model and co-founder of the Compassionate Bookshelf, emphasized:
“One of the key goals of both programs is to nurture a generation of young people with both intellect and compassion – future global citizens who will contribute back to their homeland.”

Source: Thanh Nien

Author: Tu Yen

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