Teacher Hoang Thi Hai spreads the 'fire' of kindness

Teacher Hoang Thi Hai gives gifts to support the elderly in difficult circumstances.

Teacher Hai's journey of more than 10 years of spreading the 'fire' of kindness is a simple but meaningful story.

From the heart of the writer

As a literature teacher, Ms. Hai is familiar with poems and stories about kindness. But instead of just teaching with words, she chooses to act so that her students can feel the “literature” in real life, where each gift and each heart given is wrapped in the sincerity of a teacher who loves her job and loves people.

In 2015, when she saw many of her students still going to class with many difficulties, she decided to establish the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group. At the beginning, the group only had a few members who were siblings in the family with a very simple purpose: to support students in difficult circumstances in Thanh Ha district, the old Hai Duong province. “I just thought, if each person contributed a little, it would be enough to help the students buy a pair of shoes and a new set of books. It wasn’t much, but it warmed their hearts,” Ms. Hai shared.

The first thing she did was to mobilize relatives, friends, and colleagues to join her on the volunteer journey. With dedication and transparency, the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group gradually spread, attracting more people from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to join. Twice a year, at the beginning of the new school year and on Tet, she organizes trips to give gifts to poor students.

Those trips were not noisy or ostentatious. She and the volunteer group members quietly brought small gifts such as a few packages of cakes, notebooks, and some support money to students at preschool, primary, and secondary levels in the district. Each time, Ms. Hai and the group chose to give gifts to 30-40 students at all levels to help them have the spirit to overcome difficulties and rise up in life.

But there are special cases that make her uneasy. When she learns about difficult situations, she often calls for more help on social networks. Each donation is clearly and transparently disclosed. And thanks to that, more and more people trust and accompany her.

On her and her companion’s path of volunteering, she still remembers the difficult circumstances of the two 8th grade students she was in charge of. In 2019, she accidentally heard the two students confide that they had never had breakfast before going to school. At that time, she choked up with love for her students. From that day on, every morning she quietly ordered two meals, one day sticky rice, the other day egg sandwiches... from a vendor in front of the school gate for the children. This continued for two years. "The teacher bought it, but the sticky rice vendor was the one who loved her more. Every time he packed more, saying it was to feed the children so they could study better," she recounted, her eyes filled with tears. Just like that, the good things gradually multiplied... From the teacher to the vendor, then to many other hearts joining hands to help those in difficult circumstances.

Ms. Hoang Thi Hai and Thanh Ha Volunteer Group gave gifts to students of the Kindergarten in Ha Nam commune.

Light up the faith

The story of Nguyen Thi Trinh in Thanh Ha commune is also one of the memories that Hai will always remember. Trinh lost her father when she was young, her mother left, she lived with her grandparents who were old and sick. Many times, Hai and some members of the group came to visit her house, saw the empty house, Trinh's grandparents were bedridden, her heart ached. From then on, she quietly helped her throughout her high school years with cash, sometimes 2 million VND, sometimes 3 million VND, until Trinh passed the university entrance exam. Now Trinh is in 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, I still remember the years when she cared for me, took care of every meal and notebook."

Not only helping students, the elderly in difficult circumstances are also helped by Ms. Hai and the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group. From a few initial members, the Thanh Ha Volunteer Group has now attracted 18 regular participants and many companions from afar. Each activity is carefully discussed by Ms. Hai: choosing the location, the list of recipients, how to give gifts, etc. All expenses are mainly contributed by the members themselves, sometimes with additional support from friends met through social networks.

Ms. Hai said that teaching is very busy but volunteer trips are the “spiritual medicine” that helps her balance. “Every time I see grateful eyes, I feel all my fatigue disappear. Perhaps, happiness is not what you have but what you can give,” she gently shared.

Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tay Commune, Tran Van Tam, said that the volunteer activities of teacher Hoang Thi Hai were not ostentatious or noisy, but it was this simplicity that made everyone admire her more. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of life, there are still people who quietly light up the faith so that poor students have more opportunities to go to class, so that human love can be extended through each hand holding each other...

MINH NGUYEN

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