HCM CITY(VNS)— More than 200 university and college students yesterday left HCM City for a bicycle trip through the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta to perform humanitarian work in underprivileged areas.

Five students from Japan, China, Singapore, Estonia and Portugal joined Vietnamese students for the 1,100-km day trip for 37 days.

They will travel through 10 cities as well as the provinces of Long An, Dong Thap, An Giang, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, Can Tho, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Tien Giang.

The students will make several stops to hand out life jackets and 10 scholarships worth VND1 million (US$48) each to local children, as well as bookcases to schools and libraries, and medicine to local residents.

The cyclists will also help various communities rebuild dykes, unclog canals, upgrade roads and plant trees in mangrove forests.

The group, accompanied by many Vietnamese musicians, artists and writers, expects to give a helping hand to more than 10,000 children, teenagers and local residents.

The journey was co-organised by the Association for the Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans, First News Company and the Green Future Organisation. — VNS