Teacher of the "three no" children in the heart of Tri An lake

The fishing village on Tri An Lake, in Thanh Son Commune ( Dong Nai ), has long been a haven for those who live on the water. Most of them are overseas Vietnamese who have returned from Cambodia, have no land, no stable jobs, and their lives are tied to fishing and netting.

In this scene, the image of teacher Nguyen Thi Kim Lan (Hoa Mi 3 Kindergarten, HCMC) has become familiar. Every weekend, she has to travel more than 250km by motorbike to bring letters to the children in this special charity class.

The charity class on Tri An lake was established by Venerable Thich Chon Nguyen, abbot of Lien Son pagoda, in 2018. Mr. Nguyen said that the idea of opening the class came from the times he visited and volunteered, witnessing many children drifting on the lake every day without knowing how to read.

"Ms. Lan has been involved with the charity class for many years. Every week, regardless of holidays or Tet, she rides her motorbike from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai to teach, then returns to the city to continue her work. It is the dedication and silent contribution of colleagues like her that gives me a lot of motivation to maintain the class," Mr. Nguyen shared.

During flood season, the lake water rises, making the journey to class even more difficult for teachers and students. Ms. Kim Lan, a city woman, is used to rowing a boat and wading through the water. Many children as young as 5 also row their own small boats, teetering on the waves to get to class.

One weekend morning in November, Dan Tri reporter was present at this special class. More than 20 students, from 6 to 30 years old, studied together. Ms. Lan was like a "shuttle", taking turns teaching math and Vietnamese depending on the age and level from grade 1 to grade 5.

Seeing Ngoc (orange jacket) looking tired, Ms. Lan stopped her lecture and kindly asked about her health after a week of illness. Ngoc was only 9 years old, and she and her older sister clung to education in a life of poverty, while their parents were drifting fishing on the lake.

Children in Tri An Lake often live a life of "three nothings": no stable home, no identity papers, and no opportunity to go to school. Ms. Kim Lan shared that the opportunity to come to the class began with a volunteer trip, when she witnessed the scene of children sitting quietly on rafts, lacking everything. "After that trip, I thought and worried all the time. Finally, I decided to accompany the monk to contribute to raising the children," Ms. Lan confided.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loi (60 years old, orange shirt), who spent many years making a living in Tonle Sap (Cambodia), has now returned to live in her hometown lake area with her family of ten. At noon, she and some other parents take advantage of the opportunity to go to class to help prepare meals for the children.

When talking about Ms. Kim Lan, Mrs. Loi spoke with affection as if she were talking about a younger sister in the family. Every weekend, in addition to bringing books for the class, Ms. Lan also prepared candy and snacks for both parents and children.

"Seeing the children learning to read and eating well makes me so happy," Mrs. Loi said emotionally.

Every day, the children come to class at 8am. At noon, they have lunch on the raft with meals prepared by Master Thich Chon Nguyen and other benefactors, then rest to continue their afternoon classes.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Lan is also a mother to the children. Her voice calling them to take a nap and the children's chirping in response has become a familiar, warm sound every weekend.

Thanks to the care of benefactors, the classroom facilities have been significantly improved. The children have begun to get acquainted with computers and the internet, and the teacher also works as a "side job" repairing machines whenever the equipment breaks down. "I try to do as much as I can for the children. I learn what I don't know, and with practice, I will get used to it," Ms. Lan confided.

Looking back on her journey, Ms. Lan wanted to stop many times due to health and work pressure. But thanks to the encouragement of her family, friends and especially the happy eyes and smiles of the children, Ms. Lan had more strength to continue.

At the end of the weekend afternoon, Ms. Lan said goodbye to the children to return to Ho Chi Minh City before dark, with a promise of gifts and cakes to bring with her for the next school week.

Although the road to the charity class is far and difficult, especially the section through the remote Ma Da forest, over the past 7 years, those difficulties have not been able to stop teacher Nguyen Thi Kim Lan's journey of sowing green seeds.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/co-giao-cua-nhung-dua-tre-ba-khong-giua-long-ho-tri-an-20251117235231382.htm