• Students go to school by water: Still have concerns
  • Ensuring safety for students going to school by waterway
  • 9 years of meaningful ferry connections

This meaningful program " Safe ferry trip for students at the seaport" was organized and maintained by the Youth Union of Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio and Television until now.

Supporting students at the seaport

For many years, the journey to school of students at Gia Long Den estuary (Thuan Tao hamlet, Tan Tien commune) has always depended on ferry trips.

From Tan Tien Commune People's Committee, it takes more than 30 minutes by boat to reach Gia Long Den estuary.

“Every day I wake up at 4am to get ready and catch the only ferry to get to class. The ferry picks me and my friends up from the seaport to school at around 6am. After breakfast, we study all day, and usually stay at school for lunch. The total cost is about 60-70 thousand VND/day,” Do Ngoc Nhu, a 6th grade student at Tan Tien Secondary School, said about her daily journey to class. In secondary school, the distance gets longer, along with economic pressures. Luckily, her parents still try to send Nhu and her sister to class.

Ngoc Nhu's story is also the common story of nearly 30 students at Gia Long Den estuary over the past school years. Understanding and sharing, the Youth Union of Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio and Television has formed the idea and organized the program "Safe ferry trip for students at the estuary", carrying out the task of connecting and supporting ferry fare for students on their journey across the river to school.

The program is implemented at the beginning of each school year. Due to the high cost of the ferry each year, the mobilization and connection work takes place from around August every year. Up to now, the program has been maintained for 10 school years. In the 2025-2026 school year alone, the program has supported 29 students, each student 250,000 VND/month. The total monthly budget is about 7,250,000 VND. Fortunately, during the past 3 school years, Le Thanh Tam Charity Fund ( Ho Chi Minh City) has regularly accompanied and supported the students every month.

This is the third school year that Le Thanh Tam Charity Fund has accompanied the program, supporting more than 7 million VND per month in ferry fare for the children throughout the school year. (Photo: HA GIANG)

The funds were transferred to Tan Tien Commune Youth Union to pay and check the number of students attending school each day. Mr. Nguyen Minh Thai, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of the commune, Secretary of the Commune Youth Union, shared: "The conditions for students to go to school are difficult, 100% of coastal students go to school by boat. In addition to the burden of study costs, there are also early mornings, and the material conditions of the family are not guaranteed. However, since there have been long-term support programs such as "Safe boat trip for coastal students" of the Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio and Television Youth Union, along with the local movement, the number of students dropping out of school has decreased. This support, in addition to helping to share part of the economic burden for students' families, also motivates students to try and strive."

The playground at the stilt house creates joy for the children every time the program takes place.

Do Ngoc Nhu confided: “The money from the boat each day helps me have more conditions to go to school and try to study. I am also afraid that because of economic difficulties, my parents will not have enough money to send my sister and I to school anymore. I hope that you will continue to maintain the program so that we have more motivation to try harder.”

Sharing the same charity heart

The joy continued to spread when the program was held for the 10th year, with more than 30 children participating, receiving gifts and playing group games. Accompanying the Youth Union of Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio and Television this year, the Youth Union of Ca Mau Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital supported the children with deworming medicine; the Green Heart - Saigon Volunteer Group, Vietcombank Ca Mau Branch and some Youth Unions contributed funds to give gifts including backpacks, school supplies, and cakes. In particular, life jackets continued to be given as annual gifts, so that children could be safer on their way to school every day.

Practical gifts such as life jackets and school supplies were given to children at the beginning of the school year. (Photo: HA GIANG)

Participating in the activity for the second time, Mr. Ngo Minh Quyen, Secretary of the Youth Union of the Provincial People's Procuracy, shared: "The road to the seaport is quite far, it takes more than 2 hours to travel, both by car and by boat to get there. Although it is hard, we can hand out gifts to the Gia Long Den students. Being able to contribute a part of the support and seeing the smiles on the children's faces, we find it very meaningful. My wish as well as that of the program participants is to motivate the children and at the same time encourage their families to try to send their children to school."

The 2025-2026 school year marks the 10th school year of the "Safe ferry for students at the seaport". (Photo: TIEN LUAN)

From the connection and social mobilization of the Youth Union of Newspaper, Radio and Television of Ca Mau for many years, it has partly helped to reduce the difficulties on the way to school of coastal children. The journey is full of love from the help, the small ferry that has tirelessly connected has become familiar to children in remote areas.

“ 10 consecutive years of connecting activities from the sea to schools is a lot of dedication, to help ease the hardships of children going to school here. In return, there is joy when children study to secondary school, grade 8, grade 9. The Youth Union considers this a way for journalists to give love, spread the spirit of community connection, and is one of the practical activities responding to the patriotic emulation movement”, Mr. Trinh Chi Hai, Secretary of the Youth Union of Ca Mau Newspaper, Radio and Television, shared .

Trinh Ka

Source: https://baocamau.vn/10-nam-chuyen-do-ket-noi-uoc-mo-tri-thuc-a123419.html