Da Lat Youth Group Brings Warmth to 300 Families in Remote Highland Villages

## Youth-Led Initiative Tackles Winter Hardship in Lâm Đồng Highlands

A youth-led charity organization based in Đà Lạt has delivered over 1,200 pieces of winter clothing to families in remote highland villages as temperatures in Lâm Đồng province dipped to 8°C this week.

The group, called "Ấm Lên Cao Nguyên" (Warmth for the Highlands), mobilized 45 volunteers aged 16-25 to distribute jackets, blankets, and thermal wear to approximately 300 families across four communes in Lạc Dương and Đơn Dương districts.

"Many families in these villages don't have adequate winter clothing, especially children walking to school in the early morning cold," said Nguyễn Minh Tâm, 23, who founded the initiative last year while studying at Đà Lạt University. "We wanted to do something concrete, not just collect donations and pass them along."

## From Đà Lạt Market to Mountain Villages

The volunteers spent three weeks collecting donations at a booth near Đà Lạt Market and along Trần Hưng Đạo street, one of the city's busiest tourist areas. Local businesses, including several coffee shops and flower farms, contributed funds to purchase new clothing items.

Over the past weekend, teams of volunteers traveled by motorbike and rented trucks to reach villages in areas surrounding Langbiang Mountain, some located more than 30 kilometers from central Đà Lạt on poorly maintained roads.

"The journey was challenging, but seeing the children's faces when they received warm jackets made it worthwhile," said volunteer Trần Thị Hương, 19, a tourism management student.

## Addressing Highland Inequality

While Đà Lạt's cool climate attracts hundreds of thousands of domestic tourists seeking relief from Vietnam's tropical heat, the same temperatures pose genuine hardship for ethnic minority communities in surrounding highlands, many of whom live in modest wooden homes without heating.

Lê Văn Khánh, head of Lạc Dương district's social affairs department, praised the initiative. "These young people understand that tourism brings prosperity to Đà Lạt city center, but we must also remember our neighbors in more remote areas," he said.

The group plans to continue its work throughout 2026, expanding to provide school supplies before the new academic year in September. They've already established partnerships with three local textile manufacturers who have pledged to donate surplus inventory.

"This generation cares deeply about community," Tâm said. "We're not waiting for someone else to solve problems—we're taking action ourselves."