A writing competition held to encourage local youths to share their wildest, yet feasible, dreams about how Vietnam will change in 20 years’ time has found 14 winners who all have high hopes and great dreams for a brighter, better future for their country.

The winners, beating 459 other contestants of the “Ky Vong Viet Nam 20 Nam Toi” (“My Expectations for Vietnam in 20 Years”) writing contest, were honored at an awards ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday.

Jointly held by the World Bank in Vietnam and Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the competition was open to submissions from two categories, people aged between 15 and 30, and those above 30 years old.

Le Hong Man, 26, won the first category with her entry, “Youths Allowed To Decide On Their Own,” in which she shared a dream that the Vietnamese youth would be allowed to decide on their own in the next 20 years.

“I expect in the 20 years to come, my country would be home to many houses and schools which would help incubate talents,” she wrote.

“At those places, children would be aware of how they grow, while their parents and teachers would provide auspicious conditions for them to thrive on, instead of determining their growth based on rigid default frames.”

Le Thi Hong Man receives the prize from the World Bank's Lead Economist for Vietnam Sandeep Mahajan. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The other category was topped by Song Phuong, who dreams that Vietnam will be a green country which the world has to admire in 2035.

“I expect Vietnam to be green and colorful with a peaceful climate in the next 20 years: rows of trees and lawns will be seen along the streets and there will be bright flowers at corners across the city,” the 37-year-old said in her submission, titled “Everyone Joins Hands To Add Green To Vietnam”.

“People will be walking under trees full of fruit, and every family will have clean and fresh fruit at meals; and there will never be any floods, as the city is protected by forests.”

Winner Song Phuong speaks at the awards ceremony. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Running from May 18 to June 28, the contest received 598 entries from 473 contestants, around 80 of whom joined with more than one submission.

“The contest will not just end with those expectations and suggestions to realize such dreams we have here today,” Le Xuan Trung, general managing editor of Tuoi Tre and chief organizer of the contest, said at the ceremony at the newspaper’s headquarters.

“The competition has created a cause for action and contributions from everyone for the sake of the country in the next 20 years, so that those expectations today will become reality in the 20 years to come.”

The contest winners, judges and organizers pose for a photograph. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Besides the top prize winners, the other 12 finalists were presented with the following awards.

Category 1: 15-30 years old

Second prize: Scholars on East Vietnam Sea will abound, Nguyen The Phuong

Third prize: Vietnamese education will rival Singapore’s, Luu Vinh Trinh

Consolation prizes:

- Vietnam will avert the obesity “epidemic,” Dam Dung

- Vietnam’s public administrative apparatus will be truly fair, systematic, Do Huy Binh

- Vietnam’s productivity to emulate regional countries, Do Huyen Trang

- Vietnam will curb alcohol consumption and ban smoking in 2035, Nguyen Bich Thuy

Category 2: above 30 years old

Second prize: Vietnam education among world’s Top 10 in 2035, Le Cong Khanh

Third prize: Dreaming of an equalized society, Le Minh Tien

Consolation prizes:

- The poor will not be put aside for economic growth, Le Cong Si

- Vietnamese rice known around the world, Pham Bien Thuy

- All working people will own houses, Thu Phan

- 10,000 hours of practice: the key to success in life, Nguyen Quang Hoa

Tuoi Tre News is publishing 53 selected entries, including the 14 winning ones, from the contest at http://tuoitrenews.vn/vietnam-in-20-years.

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