Teacher Hoang Thi Hai spreads the 'flame' of compassion.

Teacher Hoang Thi Hai presents gifts to support elderly people in difficult circumstances.

The journey of teacher Hai, spanning over 10 years, in spreading the "flame" of compassion is a simple yet meaningful story.

From the heart of the teacher

As a literature teacher, Ms. Hai is familiar with poems and stories about compassion. But instead of just teaching through words, she chooses to act so that her students can feel the "literature" in their daily lives, where every gift, every act of kindness given, is wrapped in the sincerity of a teacher who loves her profession and loves people.

In 2015, witnessing many of her students still facing difficulties in attending school, she decided to establish the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group. Initially, the group consisted of only a few family members with a very simple goal: to support disadvantaged students in Thanh Ha district, formerly Hai Duong province. “I just thought, if each person contributes a little, it will be enough to help the children buy new shoes or books. It's not much, but it will warm their hearts,” Ms. Hai shared.

Her first actions involved mobilizing relatives, friends, and colleagues to join her on her charitable journey. Through dedication and transparency, the Thanh Ha Charity Group gradually spread, attracting more people from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to participate. Twice a year, at the beginning of the new school year and during Tet (Lunar New Year), she organizes trips to distribute gifts to underprivileged students.

Those trips were quiet and unassuming. Ms. Hai and the members of her volunteer group simply brought small gifts – a few packets of biscuits, notebooks, and some financial support – to students at preschool, primary, and secondary levels in the district. Each time, Ms. Hai and her group selected 30-40 students from various levels to help them overcome difficulties and strive for a better life.

But there are exceptional cases that make her uneasy. When she learns of difficult circumstances, she often calls for additional help on social media. Every donation is publicly and transparently accounted for. And thanks to this, more and more people trust and support her.

Throughout her journey of spreading kindness and volunteering with her companions, she still vividly remembers the difficult circumstances of two eighth-grade students she was in charge of. In 2019, she overheard these two students confiding that they had never had breakfast before going to school. At that moment, she was overwhelmed with emotion for her students. From that day on, every morning she would quietly order two meals – sometimes sticky rice, sometimes egg sandwiches – from a vendor outside the school gate for the children. This continued for two school years. "I bought them, but the sticky rice vendor was the one who showed even more love. Each time, she would pack more, saying it was so the children could eat well and study better," she recounted, her eyes welling up with tears. And so, kindness gradually multiplied... From the teacher to the vendor, and then to countless other kind hearts, everyone joined hands to help those in difficult circumstances.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hai and the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group presented gifts to students at the kindergarten in Ha Nam commune.

Rekindle the belief

The story of Nguyen Thi Trinh from Thanh Ha commune is also one of the memories that Ms. Hai will always cherish. Trinh lost her father at a young age, her mother abandoned her, and she lived with her elderly and ailing grandparents. Many times, Ms. Hai and some members of the group visited her home, and seeing the empty house and Trinh's grandparents bedridden, Ms. Hai's heart ached. From then on, she secretly helped Trinh throughout her high school years with cash, sometimes 2 million dong, sometimes 3 million dong, until Trinh passed her university entrance exams. Now Trinh is studying at university and has found a part-time job. Trinh confided: "Thanks to Ms. Hai and the volunteer group's help, I have more motivation to study. Now I study and work part-time, and I still remember the years when Ms. Hai cared for me, looking after my meals and notebooks."

Besides helping students, Ms. Hai and the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group also assist elderly people in difficult circumstances. From a few initial members, the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group now attracts 18 regular participants along with many generous supporters from afar. Ms. Hai carefully plans each activity: selecting the location, compiling the list of recipients, and determining how to distribute the gifts. Most of the funding comes from the members' own contributions, sometimes supplemented by support from friends they meet through social media.

Ms. Hai said that her teaching job is very busy, but the volunteer trips are a "spiritual remedy" that helps her find balance. "Every time I see grateful eyes, all my fatigue disappears. Perhaps, happiness isn't about what you have, but about what you can give," she gently shared.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tay commune, Tran Van Tam, said that teacher Hoang Thi Hai's charitable activities are not ostentatious or flashy, but it is precisely this simplicity that makes people admire her even more. Amidst the hustle and bustle of life, there are still people quietly kindling hope so that poor students have more opportunities to go to school, and so that human kindness is extended through every helping hand…

MINH NGUYEN

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/co-giao-hoang-thi-hai-lan-toa-ngon-lua-nhan-ai-525169.html