To put smiles back on teachers' faces

After the flood, when mud and soil were still everywhere, the marines of Regiment 351 (Navy Region 3) were present, quietly working with the authorities and people to clean and disinfect schools, helping children return to their beloved school soon.

As flood waters have just receded in the Central provinces, low-lying areas of Da Nang and Hue are still littered with mud and rubbish after long days of heavy rain and flooding.

In that scene, the image of the marines in blue uniforms of Regiment 351 - Naval Region 3, regardless of difficulties, silently working with the local authorities and people to clean up schools and houses.

Dien Phuong Kindergarten in disarray after flood

On November 1, nearly 50 officers and soldiers of Regiment 351 were present at Dien Phuong Kindergarten (Dien Ban Ward, Da Nang City), where floodwaters had reached a depth of nearly 2 meters. The officers and soldiers brought along booster pumps, ambulances, fire trucks, and many cleaning tools, and urgently sprayed and disinfected each classroom.

Ms. Vo Thi Hong Huong, Principal of Dien Phuong Kindergarten, could not hide her emotions when talking about that valuable support.

“Dien Phuong Kindergarten is located in a low-lying area, this year the floodwaters rose beyond imagination. Some places were nearly 1.7m deep, and many teaching equipment were damaged. In difficult times, we are truly grateful to the soldiers who came to support us in time. They worked tirelessly to quickly clean and disinfect the school, helping the children return to class safely,” Ms. Vo Thi Hong Huong shared.

Amid the thick mud, soldier Phan Tran Nhat Viet still persevered with his teammates to clean and wipe each corridor. He said simply: “There is still a lot of mud, but we try our best, to contribute our small part so that the children can go to school soon, so that smiles can return to the faces of teachers.”

Before that, 30 other officers and soldiers of Regiment 351 were also present at Nguyen Van Cu Primary School (Dien Ban Ward) where the water was nearly 3 meters deep. For many hours, they worked tirelessly to pump water, clear mud, clean tables and chairs, and repair damaged electrical equipment.

Regiment 351 cleans up at Nguyen Van Cu Primary School and Dien Phuong Kindergarten

Ms. Ha Thi My Dung, the school principal, shared: “When we saw the navy soldiers and engineering forces coming to support, we felt like a burden had been lifted off our shoulders. They worked very responsibly, without hesitation, from cleaning mud to disinfecting classrooms. Thanks to them, we can rest assured to prepare to welcome students back to school.”

Officers and soldiers of Regiment 351 clean desks and chairs in the classroom.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Phuong Chinh, Deputy Political Commissar of Regiment 351, said that immediately after the flood receded, the unit deployed maximum forces and equipment to support the schools. “Our goal is to ensure the safety of teachers and students and restore teaching and learning activities as soon as possible. Everyone understands that helping people is the duty of soldiers in peacetime,” said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Phuong Chinh.

Not only in Da Nang, at the same time, a working group of Regiment 351 led by Colonel Nguyen Huu Hung, Political Commissar of the Regiment was present in Phong Dien, Phong Phu, Phong Dinh and Phong Quang wards ( Hue City). The group visited and gave gifts to poor families affected by floods with the amount of 70.5 million VND.

Colonel Nguyen Huu Hung, Political Commissar of Regiment 351, and the working delegation came to give gifts to support people in flooded areas in Phong Dinh ward (Hue city).

Previously, they coordinated with local forces to help two kindergartens Dien Huong and Dien Loc and the family of Vietnamese Heroic Mother Nguyen Thi Guong clean and wash classrooms, wipe equipment, clear sewers, and collect mud.

Soldiers of Regiment 351 coordinated with Phong Quang commune authorities to distribute rice to support the people.

Those simple images of navy soldiers in everyday life, holding shovels in one hand and brooms in the other, working with people to overcome the consequences of floods have become bright spots in the days when the Central region is recovering from natural disasters.

XUAN QUYNH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/de-nu-cuoi-tro-lai-tren-khuon-mat-thay-co-post821263.html