Colombian Ambassador: “Hope School Goes Far Beyond Conventional Corporate Social Responsibility”

Returning to Hope School and fulfilling her promise to bring young Colombians to visit, Ambassador Camila Polo Florez said that FPT’s work at the school goes far beyond conventional corporate social responsibility. The visit also created memorable opportunities for cultural exchange, connecting young people from Vietnam and Colombia through music, dance, food, and childhood games.

On the afternoon of September 18, Colombian Ambassador Camila Polo Florez visited Hope School with a group of young Colombians. This was her second visit to the school and an opportunity to fulfill a wish she had expressed during her previous visit: to bring young Colombians together with children of a similar age at Hope School.

A Bridge Between Cultures

It took little time for the young people from two countries on opposite sides of the world to become friends. Hope School students quickly struck up conversations with their Colombian visitors, inviting them to play shuttlecock kicking and ball games in the schoolyard. The Colombian visitors also brought ingredients to prepare and cook arepas, which they shared with their new friends.

The young people from Colombia and Vietnam quickly strike up conversations.

Watching the children play together, Ambassador Camila Polo Florez said that returning to Hope School brought back the same emotions she had felt during her first visit.

“This is a wonderful family. Family bonds are incredibly important to both Colombians and Vietnamese people. My heart is racing with emotion as I watch these children come here and spend time together,” she shared.

According to the Ambassador, the young Colombians in the delegation and Hope School students come from different backgrounds, but many have experienced exceptional circumstances and hardship.

“When you look at these children, you can see that their circumstances cannot prevent them from growing, dreaming, learning, or exploring the world,” she said.

Children from both countries play shuttlecock kicking together in the schoolyard.

The connection became even more evident during a Vietnam–Colombia cultural exchange performance held in the schoolyard. The Colombian visitors took the audience on a journey through the music and traditional dances of Huila, a region known for Colombia’s rich cultural heritage. Their performances portrayed the elegance and grace of women, as well as the lives of hardworking farmers closely connected to the land.

In return, Hope School students performed pieces celebrating Vietnamese cultural identity while wearing traditional costumes. A bamboo dance performance quickly caught the attention of the Colombian visitors and sparked their curiosity.

Hope School’s schoolyard comes alive with the colors and cultural traditions of Vietnam and Colombia.

Rather than watching from the sidelines, the Colombian visitors were invited by Hope School students to join the bamboo dance. After a few hesitant attempts to follow the rhythm of the opening and closing bamboo poles, they soon found their footing. Ambassador Camila Polo Florez joined in as well, dancing alongside the children and the Colombian delegation amid laughter, music, and applause.

For the Ambassador, the most remarkable part was how little distance the children seemed to perceive between themselves and their friends from the other side of the world.

“They do not look at one another as strangers. They see one another through the innocent eyes of children,” she said, expressing hope that the brief encounter would become a lasting memory.

“Even if the Colombian children never return to Vietnam, or the Hope School students never travel to Colombia, I hope they will always carry today’s experience with them.”

Young people from both countries take part in a bamboo dance.

The Ambassador added that encounters like these also help children learn to share, appreciate their roots, value small things, and practice gratitude—values that Vietnamese and Colombian cultures have much in common.

“Far Beyond Conventional Corporate Social Responsibility”

Reflecting on the children’s experiences, Ambassador Camila Polo Florez spoke at length about the Hope School model. She noted that many large corporations in Colombia also run community support programs. However, she believes that building a school and creating a family-like environment for children facing exceptional circumstances is no easy undertaking.

“I am very happy to see that, here in Vietnam, FPT has turned the concept of corporate social responsibility into reality. But this goes far beyond conventional corporate social responsibility,” the Ambassador said.

Colombian Ambassador Camila Polo Florez (right) enjoys arepas with Hope School students.

According to the Ambassador, investing in children can also be seen as a choice to invest in the future. Such a commitment is not accidental; it reflects a vision.

Drawing on her experience as a diplomat who has traveled to many countries, the Colombian Ambassador emphasized the importance of practical models such as Hope School. Community participation and private-sector initiatives can bring additional resources while opening up new approaches. She described Hope School as “a beautiful example of caring for children and building the future.”

For the Ambassador, the value of an environment created for children lies not only in material conditions or educational opportunities. More importantly, every child should feel loved, respected, heard, and seen.

The young Colombian visitors show their Hope School friends how to make arepas.

In a world where life is moving ever faster and technology and screens are everywhere, she believes that human connection is more important than ever. When children feel recognized, they can develop confidence, a sense of security, and the motivation to pursue their dreams.

That is why, as she watched the Colombian and Vietnamese children run around the schoolyard, make arepas, play ball games, and awkwardly learn one another’s dances, she saw more than a cultural exchange. The group also planted trees together, creating lasting memories to close a memorable visit.

“When you look at a child, you are looking at a good citizen of the future,” Ambassador Camila Polo Florez said.

She also congratulated FPT on the initiative and expressed hope that Hope School would continue to provide a space where children can grow up surrounded by love, respect, and confidence in themselves.