Click here https://cbmajr.readdy.co to open the website.

The goal of the project “Small Beads – Big Dreams” is to raise awareness of the beaded products made by visually impaired individuals, provide them with additional income and educational opportunities, and at the same time inspire a spirit of sharing among the recipients of the Greenleaves Scholarship.

As part of the project, GiKaD students apply their skills in marketing, communication, design, multimedia, and teamwork to create a website showcasing the products and sharing the stories behind each keychain or beaded charm. Each item is not only unique and beautiful but also embodies the perseverance, hope, and humanistic values of those who cannot see the light.

At the beginning, to get everyone warmed up, we played a mini-game: building with Lego together. The scholarship recipients were divided into three groups for the entire program. Each group was given a bag of Lego with the challenge: “Build your dreams from these Lego pieces.”

This activity was not only fun but also very effective in fostering team spirit right from the start. The message behind the game, which the mentors wanted to convey, was that working together and staying united leads to great achievements, just like the saying, “Three trees together make a high mountain.” At the same time, it taught us how to create something meaningful out of seemingly small pieces.

Next, we played a game that I really enjoyed, suggested by Hào: guessing proverbs and sayings based on English descriptions. All three groups were very excited, and Group 1 excelled, winning in under a minute.

With these two warm-up games, the morning ended in laughter and strengthened connections among the scholarship recipients. The mentors also took the opportunity to talk about important matters for the new school year and to congratulate Quốc Huy on graduating from university – a senior and role model within our scholarship program.

We are especially grateful to the mentors for preparing a tea break, which allowed us to eat together and continue chatting after the games.

At the main part of the program, once all the guests had arrived, Ms. Tố Hồng gave some opening remarks about the creation of the project “Samll Beads – Big Dreams.” She explained that the project was primarily designed to raise awareness of the beaded products handcrafted by the visually impaired youth at Nhật Hồng Blind Home and make them accessible to more people. The products are not only sparkling and beautiful but each carries its own unique meaning. Every piece is carefully crafted and reflects the care and affection of its maker.

In addition, the project aims to give Greenleaves scholarship recipients the opportunity to apply the skills they are learning at university in a practical context. This allows us to gain experience and insight into the work we may do after graduation. At the same time, this opportunity provides a meaningful chance for each of us to give back to the community. These were the three main points Ms. Tố Hồng wanted to convey through the project.

Before presenting the website we had created, we played a game called “Feel to Understand.” Each participant was blindfolded and had to feel and fit pre-made blocks into the correct positions on a board. The game required a great deal of sensitivity and precision to complete successfully. It also gave us a clear sense of how much effort the visually impaired youth at Nhật Hồng Blind Home put into creating their beautiful and meaningful beaded products.

The next part of the program was Quốc Hào presenting the website to everyone. The website is designed to showcase the products from the Blind Home to potential customers. It also includes the Zalo contact details of the sisters, allowing customers to reach out and purchase products directly.

The website is very detailed and comprehensive, and the graphic designs are charming and well-suited to each of the displayed products. The mentors from the Greenleaves Scholarship program praised the members and groups who actively participated in the project. Every contribution was valuable and brought meaningful results and joy to both the youth and the sisters at the Blind Home.

The sisters also expressed their appreciation and were deeply impressed by this Greenleaves Scholarship project. We ourselves felt very happy and proud to have contributed to this meaningful initiative.

At every gathering, we always receive small gifts that the mentors have carefully prepared for all members. Towards the end of the program, everyone was holding a green or red gift – a little token of luck to start the new year.

Each participant also took home a small beaded heart, tiny in size but full of meaning. No matter what personal significance each heart or gesture of affection holds, all of them come from the love, care, and attention of the members of Nhật Hồng Blind Home.

At the end of the program, we shared a warm and friendly meal together. It was a Sunday morning full of meaning and emotions. We are deeply grateful to the mentors of the  Greenleaves Scholarship for giving us such a joyful and heartfelt New Year gathering.

This gathering gave me a lot to think about and taught me an important lesson: I need to work harder on myself while also helping others.

- Gia Thanh -

In addition to the reward provided by the sponsor to Quốc Huy on the occasion of his university graduation (VND 3.7 million), the following students also received commendation awards in recognition of their positive social contributions over the past year:

• Trà My received a lapel pin valued at VND 310,000 for her hair donation in support of cancer patients.

• Ngọc Nhung received a lapel pin valued at VND 310,000 for her voluntary blood donation.

• Hoàng Thiện received a thermal water bottle valued at VND 432,000 in recognition of his participation in blood donation activities.

• The Design Team and the Website Team each received a cash award of VND 1 million for their active involvement in building the website to promote the “Hạt cườm” product.

In particular, Hào was honored as the outstanding individual of the “Hạt cườm” project and received a cash award of VND 1 million for his remarkable efforts. He devoted significant time and energy, consistently supported his teammates, and played a key role in ensuring that all tasks were completed on schedule and met the project’s requirements.

The costs of the early-year gathering, as well as all commendation awards recognizing the students’ positive social contributions, were fully covered by the members of the Greenleaves Scholarship Committee at their own expense and did not involve any funds from the Greenleaves program.