With a bicycle, the road to school is shorter.

Có xe đạp, đường đến trường gần hơn - Ảnh 1. — Ms. Nguyen Thi Long (53 years old, residing in Tan Binh village, Phong Binh commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province) and her granddaughter traveled by boat to receive the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship – Photo: NHAT LINH

On the afternoon of November 27th, Tuoi Tre newspaper, in coordination with the Thua Thien Hue Provincial Youth Union, awarded 200 "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarships to underprivileged students in the province. Each scholarship included bicycles and school supplies worth 2 million VND.

Previously, the scholarship awarding ceremony in Hue was scheduled to take place on the morning of November 26th but had to be postponed due to heavy rain and flooding; many areas in Phong Dien district are still flooded with about 30-40cm of water.

Grandmother and granddaughter came together to pick up the bicycle.

On the afternoon of November 27th, floodwaters on rivers in Thua Thien Hue province gradually receded, and the weather turned sunny and dry after several days of heavy rain. However, many low-lying areas in Phong Dien district were still flooded with about 30-40cm of water, making travel difficult for residents.

Upon hearing the news that her granddaughter would receive the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship from Tuoi Tre newspaper this afternoon, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Long (53 years old, residing in Tan Binh village, Phong Binh commune, Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province) asked a relative to use a boat to transport her and her granddaughter across the flooded area to the award ceremony at the Phong Binh commune People's Committee very early in the morning.

According to Ms. Long, Tan Binh village is more than 8km from the distribution point, and the water level is still about 40cm deep, making transportation mainly by boat.

"The bicycle has been my granddaughter's long-held dream, so I was afraid that if we arrived late, she wouldn't get it. After lunch, my granddaughter and I hurriedly packed our bags and took a boat to the scholarship distribution point," Mrs. Long confided.

Vượt nước ngập để đến nhận chiếc xe đạp mơ ước - Ảnh 2. — Ho Thuy Linh (a 9th-grade student from Phong Binh Secondary School, Thua Thien Hue province) is delighted to receive a bicycle from the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship – Photo: NHAT LINH

Mrs. Long's granddaughter, Vo Thi Lam Phuong (a 4th-grade student at Phong Binh Primary School), has no father, and her mother remarried. She has lived with her maternal grandparents since childhood. Despite her difficult circumstances, Phuong is an excellent student, receiving a certificate of merit for being a good student at school every year.

Although Phuong's house is more than 8km from the school, she has never missed a day of school. Usually, she gets a ride from a classmate in the same village, and sometimes she walks to school by herself.

"I want to become a doctor in the future so I can treat my grandparents," Phuong said when asked about her future dreams.

Wherever there are difficulties, there is the Sowing Seeds of Knowledge scholarship.

Lam Phuong's situation represents the difficult circumstances of 200 underprivileged students in Phong Dien district, Thua Thien Hue province, who received the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship from Tuoi Tre newspaper this year.

Có xe đạp, đường đến trường gần hơn - Ảnh 4. — Mr. Pham Van Hoa, Deputy Director of Agribank Phu Nhuan Branch – Photo: NHAT LINH

Each scholarship is worth 2 million VND, including a bicycle and school supplies. The total value of the program in Thua Thien Hue is over 400 million VND, sponsored by Agribank Phu Nhuan branch, Ho Chi Minh City.

Following the award ceremony in Thua Thien Hue province, the program will continue to award scholarships to students in Dak Lak and Ca Mau provinces, with 200 scholarships in each province totaling over 400 million VND.

Mr. Pham Van Hoa, deputy director of Agribank's Phu Nhuan branch, said that wherever there are difficulties and exemplary poor but studious students, the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship will reach those places.

According to Mr. Hoa, in 2024, Agribank Phu Nhuan branch will continue to sponsor the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" program with 800 scholarships worth 1.6 billion VND for the provinces of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Tri, Dak Lak, and Ca Mau.

Thus far, over the past 7 years, the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" program has awarded a total of 4,565 scholarships, worth more than 9.31 billion VND.

“These scholarships, which include gifts and bicycles, will help ease the burden on students' path to knowledge. We hope that these meaningful gifts will help them confidently move forward on their educational journey, becoming successful and useful members of society,” Mr. Hoa said.

Since 2018, the "Sowing Seeds of Knowledge" scholarship program has spanned across provinces, from the delta regions of Kien Giang, Vinh Long, Ben Tre, Tay Ninh… to the Central Highlands provinces such as Dak Lak, Dak Nong… and even the challenging central provinces of Quang Tri, Phu Yen, Thua Thien Hue… and the northern mountainous provinces such as Tuyen Quang, Nam Dinh…

The program has helped students in the most remote areas to have better access to education.