Reaching out to students isolated by floods.

Following the historic floods, many roads leading to the mountainous communes of Da Nang were almost completely wiped out due to landslides, rocks and soil falling onto the roads, and mud reaching knee-deep...

But along that path, groups of teachers still clung together, overcoming landslides to reach the school, where hundreds of students were waiting.

He sat in the bucket of an excavator to go to school.

From early morning, the roar of excavators echoed through the cold rain. With no other option, the teachers of Phuoc Chanh Kindergarten (Phuoc Chanh commune, Da Nang city) had to sit in the excavator's bucket, clinging tightly to each other, to navigate the severely eroded section of road to reach their classrooms.

Behind the mud and the heavy engine noise lies a school where students have been waiting anxiously for a week, isolated by floods. "Sitting in the excavator's bucket, I was trembling. Looking to one side, there was a ravine, and ahead, it was all mud. All I could do was close my eyes and pray for safety. But thinking of the students, my heart urged me to keep going," said Vu Nguyen Hong Ngoc (33 years old, from Thang Binh commune, Da Nang city), beginning her story.

Teachers brave landslides using excavator buckets to reach school and their students.

PHOTO: NGOC THOM

Having graduated from the Faculty of Education ( Quang Nam University) in 2017 and previously worked in the lowlands, Ms. Ngoc has volunteered to teach in the highlands for the past two years. Accustomed to the hardships of living in remote areas, she admits she has never seen nature as fierce as it is now. Despite being six months pregnant, she decided to brave the landslides to return to the school. "When I heard the school was isolated, I couldn't sit still. I kept telling myself, 'Just keep going, you'll get there.' Luckily, some locals helped me through the large landslide. Every step was a worry for my unborn child, but I kept thinking about the children, who are still young and waiting for me, so I kept going," Ms. Ngoc confided.

Sharing the same determination, Ms. Nguyen Thi My Hanh (31 years old, from Viet An commune, Da Nang city), a teacher currently teaching 21 children at Phuoc Chanh Kindergarten, recounted her exhausting journey. "This time I had to walk for more than two hours, with mud up to my knees. Many sections had collapsed right down to the foot of the mountain; it was terrifying to look at. But the children were waiting, how could I stop?" Ms. Hanh said.

Most teachers working in mountainous areas, including Phuoc Chanh commune, ride their motorbikes dozens of kilometers every Friday afternoon to visit their young children. On Monday mornings, they wake up at 3 a.m. and head back up the mountain. "The lowlands are flooded, and the mountains are prone to landslides. I'm so worried about my students. I just hope to get there and see that they are safe...", Ms. Hanh shared.

Having worked in the mountainous region for over two years, Ms. Hanh, like many other teachers, was initially apprehensive witnessing numerous landslides. But the current landslides are truly terrifying. "At first, I was very scared and thought I might have to stop. But seeing the teachers who came before me, I couldn't give up. We came here not only to teach, but also to let the children know that no matter how difficult things are, the school remains open, and the teachers still come to their students," the female teacher asserted.

" GO TO KEEP THE CLASS, KEEP THE STUDENTS"

The familiar road leading to Phuoc Chanh commune, a remote mountainous area, has become a harsh challenge. Numerous large landslides block the way, trees are broken and scattered everywhere, and rocks and soil cover the path, making travel three to four times faster than usual. Yet everyone continues onward.

Ms. Tran Thi Huong (34 years old, residing in Hiep Duc commune, Da Nang city), a volunteer teacher who went to mountainous areas to teach literacy in 2022, said that what worries her most is that the young students have to miss school for too long. "Just thinking about their smiles and their calls of 'Teacher!' gives me the motivation to keep going. I just hope the children don't have to drop out of school, and don't let the fear of natural disasters make them abandon their education," Ms. Huong shared.

Teachers in the highlands help each other through mud that's up to their knees.

The journey back to school in the bucket of an excavator through the landslide area was an unforgettable experience for Ms. Huong and her colleagues. "The road back to school these past few days has been truly terrifying. The landslides were so severe that the road is no longer usable. This is the first time I've witnessed such a devastating natural disaster," Ms. Huong recounted.

Although the school was only a few kilometers from the landslide site, it took Ms. Huong and her colleagues nearly three hours to reach it. They walked in groups, clinging to each other to avoid slipping. In some sections, the mud was knee-deep, their sandals got stuck, and they had to pull each other to get out. "It was dark, raining, and cold; I was so tired I could barely breathe, but I still had to go. I had to go to keep the class and the students safe. The students were waiting, so I couldn't leave them alone," Ms. Huong confided.

Ms. Le Thi Kim Oanh, Principal of Phuoc Chanh Kindergarten, said that the school has 5 campuses, including 1 main campus and 4 satellite campuses, with a total of 244 students. During the recent heavy rains and floods, the teachers' journey was truly a battle against harsh nature. Despite this, everyone tried their best to ensure that teaching and learning were not interrupted. "Some teachers have weak health, some are pregnant, but no one said they would stop. It's all for the children, so the teachers encouraged each other to keep going, to support each other through the landslides," Ms. Oanh said emotionally.

To reach Phuoc Chanh Kindergarten, many teachers have to overcome dozens of landslides.

Having worked in the mountainous region for 17 years, Ms. Oanh had witnessed many flash floods, but never such a devastating landslide. Seeing her teachers covered in mud as they moved through cut-off roads, or even being transported across rivers by excavator buckets, filled her with worry. "Most of the teachers had only recently come from the lowlands to work in the mountains, so when faced with such a serious landslide, everyone was scared. Some burst into tears out of worry, while others remained silent but still held tightly to their colleagues' hands to overcome it together," she recounted.

What touched Ms. Oanh the most was the sense of responsibility and love for their profession shown by the teachers. "Some teachers live dozens of kilometers away, having to wake up at 4 a.m. to get to class on time. When the roads are blocked by landslides, they walk. In some sections, they have to wade through streams and trek through forests. No one complains; they only hope that the students' lessons are not interrupted," Ms. Oanh added.

The principal of Phuoc Chanh Kindergarten added that, despite the widespread landslides, thanks to the unity and efforts of the school staff and students, the facilities remain temporarily safe. "There are still many difficulties, but we will continue to stay in the village and teach. Because in this mountainous area, every laugh of the children is the motivation for the teachers to keep going," Ms. Oanh affirmed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/den-voi-hoc-tro-bi-co-lap-do-mua-lu-185251105204230048.htm