The boy with the dream of sowing seeds of knowledge in the mountains and forests

GD&TĐ - Leaving behind the city, Tran Hai Quan chose the journey of sowing knowledge in the highlands, spreading knowledge and nurturing the dream of studying for highland children.

Amidst the modern urban life, there are still people who choose a different path, such as quietly sowing seeds of knowledge in remote areas. That is the story of Mr. Tran Hai Quan, founder of the non-profit charity organization called DOP.

His organization and projects are a true representation of the spirit of commitment and innovation in community education .

From a youthful dream to a mission for the community

The idea of ​​establishing DOP came to Mr. Quan as a “fate”. As a student, he participated in many volunteer activities and cherished the dream of building a community education organization. But after graduating, life and personal events interrupted that dream.

By 2015, after many experiences, he decided to change direction, giving up his stable job to wholeheartedly pursue the mission of educating poor children in the highlands.

Mr. Tran Hai Quan, founder of the charity organization DOP. Photo: NVCC

He chose the journey of community service - a challenging choice, especially for an ordinary young person starting from zero.

With nothing but passion as his luggage, he believes that only by committing himself will the path gradually open up under his steadfast footsteps.

“It is a choice. I know this path is not easy, but if I don’t do it, I will probably regret it for the rest of my life,” Quan confided.

With nothing, DOP was born, operating on three core principles: community cooperation, preserving organizational culture and developing sustainable educational methods. According to Mr. Quan, this model is not just a charity project, but a learning community where people create value together.

Mr. Tran Hai Quan shared that throughout the journey of maintaining and developing DOP, there are three things that have always been the motivation for him to keep going.

First of all is the change in thinking and awareness of the children - the project beneficiaries, along with the sincere feelings that the local people send.

Next is the enthusiasm and solidarity of the project members, who are always steadfast despite facing many difficulties.

And finally, there is the silent support from many colleagues in the community - people who believe in the value of education, although operating under the educational project model like DOP has not really received much attention in a social context that still leans more towards charity culture than sustainable development.

Desire to untie the "bottleneck" of education in mountainous areas

During his fieldwork in Dak Nong (old) and Lam Dong, Mr. Quan realized the major "bottlenecks" of education in ethnic minority areas including: low educational level, long distance to school, difficult economic conditions and the persistent mindset of "learning does not help change one's life".

Mr. Tran Hai Quan recalls a memory that became a turning point in his journey. On a bright moonlit summer night in the middle of a village without electricity, he talked to H., the daughter of the village chief - where he asked to stay.

He heard a female student who had just finished 9th grade confide that she might drop out of school because her classmates all dropped out to stay home to work on the farm or get married early.

"Because I'm the only one going to school. All my classmates are absent. If I go to school, I'll probably become... a village elder." The girl's thoughts made him worried.

Before that, Quan had known about the situation of highland students dropping out of school halfway, but it was only when he witnessed and heard one of those stories with his own eyes that he deeply felt the educational gap here.

From that moment, he had a desire to do something so that mountain children would not be deprived of the opportunity to study and dream.

Stories like these inspired Mr. Quan and DOP to launch the “Journey of Literacy” project - a long-term learning support program for children in remote areas. The project builds a “1-1 mentor” model, where each child will be accompanied by a person who will directly support, encourage and closely monitor them throughout the learning process.

In addition to teaching literacy, his organization also organizes weekly online classes, extracurricular classes, and quarterly field trips to foster the spirit of self-learning and self-confidence in the children. Educational activities are carried out in combination with weekly online and quarterly offline activities during the work trips of project volunteers in the area.

Highland children happy in a classroom. Photo: DOP

For Mr. Quan, literacy is not just learning to read and write, but also opening the door to knowledge, helping children in remote communities access information, understand policies, identify backward customs and protect themselves from the pitfalls of modern society.

His educational campaign is built as a journey of “moments of change”, where each small lesson has the power to awaken the inner strength in children. Instead of letting children develop according to the ambitions of adults, the program is designed to empower children to be independent, to live in their own world and to connect harmoniously with their family and society.

Based on the Steiner method, the organization aims to nurture a generation of free, compassionate and sharing young people. The special feature of this model is “deep listening” – each teacher will accompany and understand each student to create a personalized educational environment, helping them grow up happy and able to spread happiness.

Mr. Quan shared: “Literacy is of great value to people in remote areas where learning conditions are limited. It is not only a basic skill, but also a bridge to help them access knowledge, understand and effectively apply social policies.”

The makeshift classrooms in the village now have more lights. From a few initial students, Mr. Quan's organization has now accompanied 71 highland students in the "Journey of Education" project, supported 12 students to complete university under the "The Sponsor" project and expanded educational projects and activities to 8 villages in the old Dak Nong province.

When highland children are passionate about learning

Not just the numbers, what makes Mr. Quan most proud is the change in people's thinking, when parents start to take their children's education seriously, when children in the highlands are increasingly interested and passionate about learning.

Unlike many short-term volunteer activities, he wants the organization to bring sustainable and long-term values, aiming to build an educational model "for the community, by the community". Each participant, whether a student, lecturer or business, is encouraged to contribute according to their capacity and share responsibility.

For Mr. Quan, education cannot begin with compassion alone. “It must come from understanding and respecting the beneficiaries. We do not give away what we have, but help them find what they need,” he shared.

Children enjoy the teaching model that stimulates creativity. Photo: DOP

He just hopes that DOP's story will contribute a new perspective to those who do community work - where sharing does not stop at giving, but rather together creating sustainable values, helping beneficiaries truly rise up with their own abilities.

That thinking has helped DOP gradually form a suitable model in supporting the improvement of people's knowledge, universalizing education and developing human resources in difficult areas, thereby contributing to the realization of the education sector's goals in building new rural areas.

After nearly 10 years of operation, DOP is not only a place to nurture knowledge for children in the highlands, but also a "second school" for many young people in Ho Chi Minh City - those who are learning how to live for the community.

The communication programs, volunteer activities and skills training implemented by DOP have created opportunities for many students to approach reality and reflect on the role of knowledge as well as the social responsibility of young people.

"DOP ​​is a story of ordinary young people who dare to live, dare to dream and dedicate themselves to good values," the founder of DOP said proudly.

Two children next to paintings made from leaves. Photo: DOP

DOP Education and Community Development Organization was established in 2015, is a non-profit organization operating in the field of education and social work.

DOP aims to enhance capacity for the poor and disadvantaged, contributing to promoting equal learning opportunities and sustainable development.

After 10 years of operation, the organization has consistently created a humane lifestyle, promoted community responsibility and spread positive life values ​​to the young generation of Vietnam. With the motto "not only giving fishing rods but also helping them know how to fish and enjoy fishing".

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/chang-trai-voi-uoc-mo-gioi-hat-tri-thuc-giua-nui-rung-post755001.html