Late in the afternoon, we drove along winding, misty mountain roads to Choan Then village, Y Ty commune, Lao Cai province. In a traditional Ha Nhi ethnic minority house, San Xe So (a 7th-grade student at Y Ty Ethnic Boarding Secondary School) and her uncle, So Co Suy (32 years old, a specialist at the Party Building Committee of Y Ty commune), were cleaning the house. Carefully arranging her books and school supplies, San Xe So asked her uncle (a master's degree holder) about exam preparation tips. This tall, pretty girl with sparkling eyes has a beautiful, simple dream: to attend school regularly like her peers, later go to university, and become a female soldier in the Vietnam People's Army.
As San Xe So carefully placed all the pens into his schoolbag, Captain Tan A Bang, the head of the community mobilization team, and Major Pham Tien Viet, a community mobilization officer at the Y Ty Border Guard Post, arrived to visit the family. Like family members often checking in and encouraging each other, the meeting made the small house feel warm amidst the chilly weather.
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| Representatives from the Y Tý Border Guard Station ( Lao Cai Provincial Border Guard Command) visited and encouraged Sần Xe Sợ. |
Captain Tan A Bang recalled: “About four years ago, tragedy struck San Xe So’s family. His mother passed away early, and his father suffered from several serious illnesses and was almost unable to work. At that time, his grandmother, nearly 60 years old, was the main breadwinner in the family, supporting San Xe So and his siblings' education.”
Understanding Sần Xe Sợ's difficult circumstances, since 2022, the Y Tý Border Guard Post has been supporting her through the "Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School" project. Like other participants in the project, Sần Xe Sợ receives financial assistance for food and necessities from contributions by army officers and soldiers, amounting to approximately 2 million VND per month. While this amount may not be large, it represents the love, sharing, and unwavering support of the soldiers for these children in border regions on their journey towards their dreams. In addition to financial support, border guard officers regularly visit, encourage, and remind her of her studies. During holidays and festivals, she receives additional joy from small, warm, and meaningful gifts. Touched by the kindness of the Border Guard, Mr. Sờ Có Suy said: “The help from the officers and soldiers of the Army was truly timely, right when my family was facing the most difficult situation. Thanks to the Border Guard, Sần Xe Sợ can go to school and dream of a bright future. Seeing him happy and healthy going to school and growing up day by day, the family is very happy. We are very grateful to the Border Guard.”
In the remote border villages of Y Tý, there are steep slopes and deep ravines; winters are harsh and freezing, while summers are intensely hot. The people's economy mainly depends on agriculture, and farming methods are outdated. Life here is still very difficult. Therefore, children's schooling will be interrupted if they are not encouraged and cared for in a timely manner.
Since being adopted by officers and soldiers of the Y Tý Border Guard Post under the "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Post" program, Vàng A Phát, 14, from Phan Cán Sử village, and Thào Văn Nguyên, 11, from Séo Phìn Chư village, have had their journeys to school shortened and their meals more abundant. Vàng A Phát is currently in Class 8C at Y Tý Ethnic Boarding Secondary School, having been adopted since 2023. Thào Văn Nguyên is currently in Class 5A3 at Y Tý Ethnic Boarding Primary School, having been adopted since 2024. Both children share similar circumstances: their families are poor, they have many siblings, and their mother is often ill.
The Y Tý Border Guard Post is where Vàng A Phát and Thào Văn Nguyên live, study, and train after school. In their clean and tidy room, evenings often echo with the sounds of them reading aloud and discussing school matters with the border guard officers and soldiers. In their studies and lives, the soldiers in green uniforms always show these underprivileged children special love and affection, providing them with emotional support and guidance to overcome difficulties.
“I thank the Border Guard soldiers for taking us in and raising us. Thanks to the better living and learning conditions at the outpost, I achieved the title of outstanding student in the 2024-2025 school year. I promise to study hard, become a skilled engineer in the future, build bridges and roads for my hometown of Y Tý, and not let down the soldiers,” Thào Văn Nguyên told us, his face beaming with a smile.
As of the 2025-2026 school year, the Y Tý Border Guard Station has sponsored 6 students under the "Helping Children Go to School - Children Adopted by Border Guard Stations" program, 9 students under the "Army Officers and Soldiers Helping Children Go to School" project, and is coordinating the sponsorship of 31 students in the "Godmother" program. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trong Mach, Political Officer of the Y Ty Border Guard Station, shared: “The joys from sponsoring and nurturing students with particularly difficult circumstances are not only reflected in their academic achievements and training, but also in the sustainable and long-term development of the border region. This is the basis for the Border Guard to identify, cultivate, and nurture core individuals in the movement of the entire population participating in protecting national sovereignty and border security. At the same time, it contributes to strengthening military-civilian solidarity, creating a human resource pool to serve the construction and development of the border region, and consolidating the ‘people's support’ to protect the nation's borders.”
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/chap-canh-uoc-mo-hoc-tro-mien-bien-y-ty-1033805
