Besides the political mission of protecting the border and helping people develop the economy, the green-uniformed soldiers are also foster fathers, taking care of every meal and sleep, supporting and helping dreams come true for the difficult lives in the border and island areas, not only in Thanh Hoa but also in the border provinces of Laos.
Nurturing on the frontier
On a working trip to the border area, we and soldiers of Bat Mot Border Guard Station, Bat Mot Commune (Thuong Xuan) visited the family of Bun Xu, born in 2011 in Tha Lau village, Phon Xay cluster, Sam To district, Hua Phan province (Laos). Bun Xu's house is about 6 km from Bat Mot Border Guard Station, through the Kheo border gate.
Arriving at the house, Major Bui Duc Toan, an officer of the Kheo Border Control Station (Battam Border Guard Station) called out: "Bun Xu, is Bun Xu home yet?" Inside the house, Thong Lun and Nang Na Lun, Bun Xu's parents, happily came down the stairs of the stilt house to welcome us with bright smiles. Both husband and wife were born with disabilities and could not speak. The stilt house was old but sturdy. Inside the house, Bun Xu and his three younger siblings looked out to greet us and were interpreted by Bui Duc Toan. Toan waved Bun Xu over and invited everyone to gather around and chat. Although through interpreter Bui Duc Toan, our conversation with Thong Lun's family and Bun Xu was still lively. Occasionally, Toan and the Batm Border Guard Station's brothers told funny stories and Bun Xu's efforts to overcome difficulties, making the atmosphere of the meeting more cozy and friendly. Looking at the smiles of Mr. Thong Lun and his wife, we feel happy inside.
Bun Xu is the eldest son of Thong Lun and his wife. The family is very poor, relying only on farming, raising a few poultry and fishing in the stream. Bun Xu often walks 3 km from home to school. Bun Xu's journey to school is quite difficult, making him want to quit school many times to stay home and help his parents. Through a cooperative and friendly relationship, in January 2023, Bat Mot Border Guard received support from Bun Xu with 500,000 VND/month until the end of grade 12 under the program "Helping children go to school". With many children, this support money is truly a great source of encouragement both materially and spiritually for Bun Xu herself as well as her family. Every month, officers and soldiers of Bat Mot Border Guard take turns visiting and giving support money, giving gifts to encourage the family... This is the warmest and happiest time for parents, Bun Xu and the children as well as the households living around here. They felt and were grateful for the affection that the officers and soldiers of the Bat Mot Border Guard had for Bun Xu, helping him continue to go to school, motivating many other poor children with especially difficult circumstances in the Phon Xay cluster to overcome difficulties and rise up. In the 2022-2023 school year, my son was assessed as having good academic performance. Sitting next to me, the little boy Bun Xu shyly said (through an interpreter): "I am very grateful to the Bat Mot Border Guard!"
Bring your dreams to life
Born into a particularly difficult family, Vi Viet Khang suffered because his father died, his mother disappeared, and he lived with his elderly grandparents. Khang grew up "wild" like "an untamed tree". But on the contrary, the boy was quick and intelligent. After several inspections of the people's lives, the Border Guard of Na Meo International Border Gate (Quan Son) worked with the local authorities and the family to take the child to the station for direct care. In 2019, the child officially moved to the station and is studying in grade 7 (Na Meo Boarding Secondary School). The small, skinny boy... after a short time of eating, living, and doing activities with the "fathers" and uncles, the child was instructed, cared for, and raised as carefully as a grandchild in the family. Since then, the child has gradually adapted to the military environment and gradually "transformed" into a good teenager, polite to everyone, very proactive in studying and living.
At the age of 16, healthy and strong, Khang is studying in grade 11 at Quan Son High School and is always cared for by his “fathers”, who guide him in his career and future, making him feel like he is living a beautiful dream in real life. He always tries his best to do everything with the desire to become a professional soldier to protect the Fatherland, to help the villagers like his fathers and uncles are now helping him and many other friends and children.
In the 2022-2023 school year, Ha Binh Minh, born in 2008, of Thai ethnicity, announced the good news to his "fathers", the uncles of DBP Pu Nhi (Muong Lat) that he won second prize in the district-level math competition. There was no need to "throw a party" to celebrate his academic achievements, but the wishes and the warm pats on the shoulders of his fathers and uncles were enough for Minh to feel the love and expectations that his fathers and uncles had for him.
Minh is the youngest son of martyr Ha Van Tinh, a former officer of the Pu Nhi Border Guard. His father passed away, and the life of the three of them was very difficult. In 2019, while he was in grade 5 at Pu Nhi Primary School, the unit took him in to directly raise and take him to school. When he was in grade 6, Minh moved with his mother to Muong Lat town and studied at the Muong Lat District Boarding Ethnic Secondary School. Although he only lived with his father and uncles in the station for 1 year, the feelings and memories still appear in his memory. On weekends, Minh was allowed by his mother to go back to the station to practice being a young soldier under the supervision and support of officers and soldiers of the Pu Nhi Border Guard until the end of grade 12. His academic performance over the years since he was adopted by the unit has always been excellent. After finishing the recent junior high school graduation exam, I am confident with my efforts. In just a few days, I will have the opportunity to "swim" out into the ocean and continue to fulfill my dream.
Bun Xu, Khang, Minh... are children with especially difficult circumstances who were raised by officers and soldiers of the Border Guard Station under the Provincial Border Guard Command as their own children under the programs "Adopted children of the Border Guard Station" and "Helping children go to school" until they graduated from high school. Officers and soldiers always closely monitor their studies and guide their future... helping these young, isolated lives gradually grow up with the qualities of a strong, decisive and determined soldier's child. If the children do not live in a good environment, it is very likely that in remote mountainous areas and remote villages, they will inevitably be exploited and lured.
Sincere, practical, responsible, effective
Starting with a compassionate heart, each Border Guard unit of the provincial Border Guard has adopted and supported the children with tuition, living expenses, bicycles, gifts... and even food for their families during the lean season, when in trouble or sick. That work is sincere, not exaggerated but has a spreading power, leaving a unique mark of the officers and soldiers wearing green uniforms. Talking to us, teacher Nguyen Thi Thuan, Muong Lat District Boarding Ethnic Secondary School, expressed: I really like the model "Helping children go to school" and "Adopted children of border guards" because this is a very humane work. Because in addition to food and living expenses, the stations also buy clothes, books, school supplies, provide monthly financial support, take them to school, buy gifts, and pick them up and drop them off when they visit relatives on weekends, holidays, and Tet... The precious thing is that although the lives of many border guards are still difficult, they are all kind-hearted, donating and supporting money, and not afraid of the hardships of caring for, raising, educating, and helping students grow up.
Currently, Bat Mot Border Guard Station is supporting 19 students under the project "Army officers and soldiers help children go to school"; the program "Helping children go to school" and "Adopted children of border guards", including 2 children in Laos (1 child has graduated from high school and is working), 2 children are children of martyr Major Vi Van Nhat who died while attacking criminals (in 2019)... Na Meo International Border Guard Station supports 27 students, including 2 students from Laos; Quang Chieu Border Guard Station supports 26 children, including 2 students from Laos...
According to our research, in order to have the resources to nurture and help the children the most and best, in addition to the voluntary, regular monthly contributions in the form of salary, officers and soldiers who receive rewards, salary increases, military rank promotions... also support; practice thrift in all work, especially saving food, foodstuffs, and set aside revenue from increased production... In addition, on the occasion of the new school year, Tet and spring, the Border Guards proactively coordinate with Party committees, authorities, and organizations to deploy and effectively implement the programs: Border Spring - Warming the hearts of the villagers; Warm Spring on the Border; Accompanying women on the Border; Warm clothes in winter... Thereby, many resources have been mobilized, such as: school supplies, books, bicycles for children and rice, necessities to help families have more conditions to take care of their children so they do not have to drop out of school halfway.
According to statistics from the Provincial Border Guard Command, in the period of 2016 - 2021, officers and soldiers of the Border Guards voluntarily contributed funds in the form of daily wages to implement the programs "Helping children go to school" and "Adopted children of border guards" reaching more than 1.7 billion VND. Of which, the program "Helping children go to school" was more than 1.6 billion VND; the program "Adopted children of border guards" was more than 110 million VND. In 2022, officers and soldiers in the Provincial Border Guard participated in supporting the programs "Helping children go to school" and "Adopted children of border guards" with nearly 350 million VND; deployed to spend for units implementing the program with a total amount of 225 million VND.
The above funding, together with the self-contribution of officers and soldiers in the unit, supports approximately 100 children each year, of which an average of 10 are Laotian students from the border area and 10 children adopted at the station under the "Adopted Children of Border Guard Station" program.
Major Tran Van Sy, Deputy Political Commissar, Bat Mot Border Guard, shared: “This is a very meaningful and humane program. We have increased coordination with the localities of the two border areas, the school has reviewed and selected and continued to accept especially difficult cases as adopted children of the Border Guard and supported them to go to school with funds mobilized from officers and soldiers of the entire force and mobilized funds until they graduate from high school, creating the best conditions for them to have a brighter future. Through the program, the border guards and localities, the people of the two border areas are more closely connected and affectionate."
Article and photos: Le Ha - Hoang Lan
Lesson 3: The "seeds" grow up.
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