15-year journey of Long Buu charity class

A classroom of many fates

Long Buu charity class in Quarter 9 (Long Binh ward, Ho Chi Minh City) was initiated by Mr. Tran Lam Thang and proposed to Long Binh ward Youth Union to be established, and has been established for more than 15 years.

Over the years, the students attending the school were mainly children of immigrant families in Ho Chi Minh City. Their parents worked as industrial workers, construction workers, scrap dealers or street vendors.

During the day, the children sell lottery tickets, collect scrap metal, or babysit their younger siblings and help their parents. At night, they attend this special class. In addition, the class also opens its doors to children with intellectual disabilities, autism, hyperactivity, etc. Mr. Thang said: "As long as the children have a desire to learn, I will do my best to accompany them."

Mr. Thang was born into a poor family, his childhood was filled with hard work. When he grew up, he saw many children around him who could not go to school, and he felt sympathy. "At first, I just wanted to open a class to teach children how to read and write, that's all. But the more I taught, the more I wanted to give them more knowledge," he said.

For many years after the class was established, Mr. Thang spent his own money to buy books, clothes, and school supplies to encourage children to attend class. Many times, he went to each parent's house to persuade them to let their children go to school.

“Back then, the area where I lived still had many brick kilns. Most of the families worked for hire, moving here and there, so their children could not get a proper education. Therefore, I persistently knocked on each door, sometimes spending a whole week to convince a child to go to school to learn letters and calculations,” Thang said.

In Long Buu charity class, each student has a different story. However, Mr. Thang remembers every face and every situation of the students. To him, they are not only students but also “little children” who need to be protected and supported.

Mr. Thang shared: “The children who come to this class are children who sell lottery tickets, work as construction workers, carry coal at brick kilns… I also spent my childhood in this Long Buu area, I have also done the jobs that these children are doing, but I am lucky to have my parents send me to school. Therefore, although it is difficult, because I love them, I always try to make sure that they do not suffer like that forever.”

Sow letters with love and sharing

Over the years, during the day, Mr. Thang went to work, and at night, at exactly 6 p.m., he returned to his familiar classroom. “Every time I see the children come to class in full, chattering and greeting the teacher, all my fatigue seems to disappear. I just hope that after completing the primary school program here, the children can continue their studies and open up a brighter future for themselves,” Mr. Thang said emotionally.

By 2017, the class was given new life when many generations of students from the Handmade Volunteer Club of the University of Transport Branch in Ho Chi Minh City learned about it and joined hands.

Since then, many students have volunteered to become “companions” of the Long Buu charity class. Every evening, young volunteers bring their enthusiasm to teach reading, math, etc.

In particular, in addition to teaching cultural knowledge, the volunteer students also equip the children with life skills. Thanks to that, the children studying in this special class have learned how to protect themselves, recognize the risk of abuse, prevent drugs, school violence and practice many behavioral skills in life.

Currently, after many years of perseverance by Mr. Thang and other volunteer students, the Long Buu charity class has gradually become known and more and more poor children are attending. The class currently has about 85 students from grades 1 to 5, studying regularly from Monday to Saturday every week. Most of the students are children of workers, street vendors, lottery ticket sellers or migrant workers.

In particular, the class is recognized as a Universal Education class of Long Binh Primary School (Long Binh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). Students who study well, meet the standards and are supported by their parents will be transferred to study according to the school's curriculum. Notably, students studying in the class will also be provided with an assessment test; if they meet the knowledge requirements, they will receive a certificate of completion of the primary school program.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai, Head of the Handmade Volunteer Club, shared: “The club is a gathering place for students who share the same desire to bring knowledge to poor children. Over the years, the Long Buu charity class has been maintained thanks to the spirit of inheritance: when one generation graduates, another generation takes over. Everyone considers this place their home. In addition to teaching, we volunteers also organize many programs to care for students on occasions such as June 1, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Lunar New Year.”

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/hanh-trinh-15-nam-cua-lop-hoc-tinh-thuong-long-buu-post756509.html