Teaching literacy to children in floating villages.

The sound of the motorboats cutting through the water, rocking the classroom, forces the young students of the charity school in Suoi Tuong floating village (Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province) to follow the rhythm of the waves as they write their letters.

Sister Teresa Pham Thi Kim Lan grades the papers of young students at the charity class in the "house-lifting" neighborhood. Photo: Doan Phu

In the "lift-up houses" hamlet (a type of house used by people living in floating villages in the semi-flooded areas, made of iron frames and corrugated iron roofs, easily movable, in floating village C3, Suoi Tuong hamlet), the children's voices chirp like forest birds.

Constantly chasing shrimp and fish, forgetting about literacy.

When people moved to the Tri An reservoir area to make a living, some brought with them or had children who could speak fluently but could not read or write.

While possessing strong survival and labor skills (swimming, helping with household chores, fishing, etc.), literacy and arithmetic remain unfamiliar to some of the children. Therefore, the establishment of charity classes in the "house-lifting" hamlet and Suoi Tuong floating village is all the more meaningful.

"In my mind, when I came to live in this floating village, all I hoped for was a place to eat and sleep; I didn't dare hope for an education for my children. Fortunately, the children have always received help from the government and religious organizations."

Fisherman Nguyen Van Thanh, residing in Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province.

At 8 a.m., Ngo Van Quy (19 years old, from Suoi Tuong floating village) pulled his small motorboat into the charity class just as the class was beginning. After greeting Sister Teresa Pham Thi Kim Lan (Phu Ly parish - the teacher), Quy quietly chose a desk at the back and opened his books to study.

Despite being the oldest student in the class, Quy is still in the second grade/second volume (as Sister Lan calls it, meaning he's studying the second level of the second-grade textbook), even younger than many students aged 10-14 who are in grades 3-5. Nevertheless, Sister Lan considers Quy to be a quick learner with a good attitude towards studying. For Quy to reach the second grade/second volume level in just one year of school is a testament to his perseverance.

During the afternoon class at 2 PM, at Sister Lan's floating village in Suoi Tuong, there were also two sisters, Le Thi Men (16 years old) and Le Thanh Phung (14 years old), studying in the 6th grade/volume 1. Because Men and Phung already knew a little about reading and arithmetic, after three years of attending Sister Lan's class, they had completed the elementary school curriculum and were continuing with the 6th grade/volume 1 program. Sister Lan's two young students expressed that, despite studying with classmates of different ages and levels, they still longed to attend school, become proficient in reading and arithmetic, and leave their floating houses to work in companies on land.

Sister Lan's charity classes, held in the morning (at the "house-lifting" hamlet) and afternoon (at the Suoi Tuong floating village), have about 80 students (grades 1-6). Among them are children of fishermen attending school for the first time, as well as children who had dropped out of school elsewhere and requested to join.

Sister Lan confided: "The children's abilities and learning styles are not uniform; many come to class just for fun. However, I patiently guide them with love and affection, hoping that one day they will all develop a sense of learning, like trees in the forest or aquatic plants that eventually bloom."

Tran Thi Kim Nhung (9 years old, class 2/volume 1, "house-lifting" hamlet, Suoi Tuong village) confided: "I like coming to the nuns' charity class because I get to learn, play, and receive cakes and candies."

Many students don't know their last names.

The charity class in the "house-lifting" hamlet isn't as well-equipped as the one in the Suoi Tuong floating village. However, because the class is located on the shore, on the edge of the forest, the children aren't bothered by the noise of boat engines and the waves during class, which can distort their handwriting.

Children of fishermen in Suoi Tuong hamlet, Tri An commune, Dong Nai province, on their way to a charity school.

Because the lessons were held on the shore, the children had plenty of space to play. We asked a few children (around 8-10 years old) their names while they were playing with their friends, and they innocently replied: Son, Thuy, Den, Tin…

According to Sister Lan: At night, children who followed their parents to catch shrimp and fish would arrive at class drowsy, nodding off, and yawning, but Sister Lan never complained. The more alert and receptive the children were, the more reading, math, and spelling lessons she could teach them. And when the children were too tired and fell asleep at their desks, or brought along younger siblings to cause trouble, Sister Lan compassionately overlooked it.

“The children’s class schedules are very irregular, and the classes have varying levels of proficiency, so I have to patiently tutor each child individually. Thankfully, no matter their circumstances, they never drop out of class and remain eager to learn, which is why the two charity centers in the ‘Nha Nha Nha’ hamlet and Suoi Tuong floating village have been maintained for many years,” Sister Lan said.

Bidding farewell to Sister Lan's charity class and the children nestled in the shady Ma Da forest and beside the sun-drenched, gently lapping waters of Tri An Lake, we were happy to see the children receiving so much love and support from society.

Doan Phu

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/202512/day-chu-cho-tre-em-lang-be-e79092d/