50 years of quietly eliminating illiteracy for boat people

Her students always think of her with respect and gratitude. Because she is the one who guided and changed their lives.

"Ms. Hanh teaches literacy"

Following the turns to find Ms. Hanh's house, we had to stop several times to ask for directions. "Does Ms. Hanh teach literacy education?" - with respectful tones, the people giving directions enthusiastically gave directions. Some people said that Ms. Hanh taught literacy education from the time the boat people were still on the boat, until they were resettled on land, and now she continues to teach the children for free. Ms. Hanh has many generations of students.

Mr. Vo Van Lanh (27 years old) smiled when asked about Ms. Hanh teaching him to read and write. "If it weren't for Ms. Hanh, I don't know where my life would be. She was the one who laid the first "bricks" of letters; taught me to spell, read, write, and do calculations. My parents gave me life, but Ms. Hanh was the one who taught me to read and write, and changed my life. I built the house and the workshop. But without letters and knowledge, I would never have been able to do this" - Mr. Lanh confided.

50 năm lặng lẽ xóa mù chữ cho dân vạn đò - Ảnh 1.

A corner of Ms. Bach Thi Ngoc Hanh's classroom

Next to the table and chairs placed on the porch with a trellis hanging down peacefully, the gray-haired woman smiled gently as she recalled the "fate" of becoming a teacher to help the boat people.

The life of the boat people is defined by the drifting boats, which are both a means of earning a living and a "home" to live in. The cramped boat is a crowded place for families of 2-3 generations. Life is makeshift, closely tied to poverty and hardship. From adults to children, the elderly to children, no one is literate. Illiteracy is passed down from grandfathers, fathers to children.

In 1976, the literacy movement was promoted. At that time, Ms. Hanh was only eighteen or twenty, finished 9th grade, and participated in teaching literacy to the boat people on the Huong River. She thought she would teach for a few years, but unexpectedly, the journey of "sowing" literacy to the river people followed her until now.

The first days of holding chalk were difficult. The classroom at that time was temporarily set up at Phu Cat Cooperative. After a tiring day, adults just wanted to rest and have a good night's sleep so they could continue their life cycle the next day. No one wanted to go to class. Many people went to the first few classes, but then refused.

Not giving up, Ms. Hanh went to mobilize and advise everyone: "Learning letters is difficult, but if you can't learn much, at least you must know how to read. If someone gives you a piece of paper, you should read what's written on it, otherwise if you pick it up by mistake, it's dangerous. Knowing how to write and calculate is always linked to self-control, self-confidence, and your own rights and your own life." The class only lasted 1 hour, but at 5 pm she left the house, got on each boat to mobilize people, and didn't return home until 10 pm.

Many of Ms. Hanh’s students still remember the image of the petite young girl, whether it was hot or cold, diligently carrying a kerosene lamp along the banks of the Perfume River, calling people to class. For the children, Ms. Hanh was even more devoted to guiding, educating, and teaching them how to be a good person.

For love

When the boat people were resettled ashore and settled down, Ms. Hanh encouraged parents to send their children to public schools. But many children did not have birth certificates and could not go to school. So she "went back and forth" from the neighborhood leader's house to the local government, trying to find a way to get birth certificates for each child. With birth certificates, she continued to apply for the children to study at public schools. When asked why she had such a "fated relationship" with the boat people, Ms. Hanh answered simply: "Because of love."

50 năm lặng lẽ xóa mù chữ cho dân vạn đò - Ảnh 3.

Ms. Hanh is teaching children to read and write.

Every year, before summer, when she met students in the neighborhood, she told them to leave her their old books and notebooks. She diligently cut out the pages that were not written on, bound them into books, and collected the pages that were written on to sell to buy more pens and give them to the students.

Many children due to difficult circumstances cannot continue studying, Ms. Hanh applies for vocational training; connects organizations and support funds to apply for scholarships and support allowances. "The 150,000 VND received each month from the support funds that Ms. Hanh applied for has helped me have money to pay for vocational training. I am very grateful to Ms. Hanh" - Mr. Vo Van Lanh shared.

Not only Mr. Lanh, there are many students such as Ms. Duyen - the owner of a hair salon, Mr. Hoe - the owner of a construction materials shop... and many homeless children who used to sell on the streets or follow their mothers to bail water on boats, thanks to learning to read and write, now not only have a stable life, but also create jobs for many people.

At 7 p.m., the Kim Long ward community cultural house yard was filled with laughter. Children were playing soccer, shuttlecock... Seeing Ms. Hanh driving into the yard, the whole group hurried into the classroom. The "little girl" named Thuy assigned: "Grades 4 and 5 sit on this side; grades 1, 2, and 3 sit in the other row of tables". Thuy studied with Ms. Hanh from grade 1 to grade 5. During the day she studied at school, and in the evening she came here to be tutored by her. A female student named Ngan boasted: "My family has 9 siblings who all study with Ms. Hanh. Even my niece who calls me aunt is studying in this class".

Ms. Hanh's free class now has about 20 students from grade 1 to grade 5. Most of them are studying at elementary schools in the area but their academic performance is poor, so Ms. Hanh tutors them. For many years, Ms. Hanh has been the president of the Kim Long Ward Red Cross Society and the head of the women's association of the residential group. During the process of teaching literacy, she accompanied and helped the poor people access social policy capital and develop their economy . Thanks to that, their children can study properly.

In recognition of her contributions to the community in universalizing primaryeducation for children in the ferry village of Kim Long ward (Hue city, Thua Thien - Hue province), in 2015, Ms. Bach Thi Ngoc Hanh was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the President; in 2022, she was recognized by the Standing Committee of the Women's Union of Thua Thien - Hue province as "Outstanding Women for the Community".

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