The Positive Social Impact of Christmas for Children in Vietnam
By: Andres Congrains
When caring for others, we create social well-being, and thus we provoke positive social impact. Christmas is an opportunity to share, educate in ethics, morals, and create social well-being. They say sharing is caring. Thanks to the contribution of our donors, we had the opportunity to experience its value. As ethical education invites us to realize everyone is equal, it is important to acknowledge everyone deserves to be cared for. Children are our first allies for spreading positive social values on this holiday, which is much of a novelty in Vietnam.
The international holiday provokes curiosity in younger generations, who are prone to take pictures, share thematic posts on social media and grab special deals in department stores, local businesses, restaurants, and coffee shops. Beyond the commercial hype of Christmas, locals embrace the new holiday as an opportunity to socialize and share with others. Vietnamese children are the life and soul of the party. They get the whole idea: it's a global event, it's magical, there are gifts, and it is fun. Having their attention is an opportunity to create a social impact. UPP Global desired to make the most of this.
It was a sunny day. The UPP Global team met 25 enthusiastic children on a soccer field in District 2 of Ho Chi Minh City. Children were exhilarated at first sight. They jumped and cheered. Everyone smiled. Soon, our team had to organize a queue for them to receive their football shoes. Our team sourced out sports socks and helped the children to tie their knots. Afterward, we moved into the football field. It was time to have fun.
We organized a circle and our founder, Toro, explained the rules of the first game. The children paid attention carefully. Although there is a translator to help out, they ask questions and play the game in English. Children want to connect with volunteers, many of whom are their teachers, but above all, persons to whom they can relate.
It is relevant to highlight the importance of games in building rapport. The children, who study English at UPP Global, have a greater experience practicing their use of the language when doing so through a socially immersive experience like team games can be. As games went on, smiles merged with laughs. Happiness only becomes real when shared with others. Our Christmas event was a success!
As we wanted to create a memorable experience for children, we realized providing education in human values and friendship was the best way to achieve our goal. Hence, we came out with this idea. These are our main takeaways :
Sharing promotes friendship and gratitude.
Social experiences, when positive, help us to overcome cultural differences.
Promoting emotional well-being in kids has the power to make the world a better place.
Human values generate social development.
