HCM City (VNS/VNA) - The Vietnam Bamboo Foundation in collaboration with SOS Children’s Villages Vietnam and the Vietnam Food Bank Network has officially launched the “Community Bamboo Garden” project at the SOS Children's Village Go Vap in Ho Chi Minh City to celebrate World Bamboo Day.

The initiative highlights the cultural, environmental, and nutritional values of bamboo while promoting a green development model that connects communities.

According to the organisers, the project aims to create sustainable green spaces through bamboo cultivation.

These bamboo gardens are expected to improve local landscapes, provide shade, purify the air, and yield edible bamboo shoots that can enrich the diet of children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups.

The project also incorporates the “Green Hero” initiative, which turns organic kitchen waste into compost to nourish bamboo groves, forming a closed ecological cycle.

Nguyen Tuan Khoi, chairman of the Vietnam Bamboo Foundation, said bamboo is not only a symbol of resilience, endurance and solidarity but also a valuable resource for sustainable development.

"With this project, we hope to spread the spirit of 'green living', making every bamboo cluster a place of environmental education where children can learn, explore and nurture a love for nature."

Bamboo is truly a plant of the future, helping to build a compassionate, green and sustainable community, Khoi said.

In its first phase, the project will be piloted in selected localities, community centres, and shelters, integrating bamboo cultivation with agriculture, livestock raising, bamboo-based products, and community tourism.

It is also designed to serve as a green education model that raises awareness of environmental protection and greenhouse gas reduction.

Hoang Long, director of the SOS Children's Village Go Vap, said the village is the first home to implement the project.

The bamboo planted today will not only provide green space for our children but also bring practical benefits in daily life and meals, he said.

“It is a meaningful gift that nurtures both their physical and spiritual well-being.”

As part of the launch event, the organisers distributed 150 gift sets and nutritious meals to children at the village, featuring dishes made from bamboo shoots combined with other healthy ingredients.

The activity underscores bamboo’s versatile and practical role in daily life.

World Bamboo Day, observed annually on September 18, honours bamboo, a plant with more than 1,500 applications and recognised as a key material for the green economy.

The Vietnam Bamboo Foundation was officially launched on August 2 in HCM City, alongside its initiative “Luy Tre Lang” (Bamboo Village), aimed at advancing a sustainable bamboo industry, preserving cultural identity, and tackling climate change through green and circular economic models.

🌳 In 2025, Vietnam is hosting a series of activities to mark the occasion, reaffirming bamboo’s growing importance in cultural preservation, community development, and environmental protection./.