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The arduous journey in search of literacy for children in the Mekong Delta

Amidst the crisscrossing canals of My Phuoc commune (Can Tho city), the journey to school to seek knowledge on the bumpy boat trips becomes even more arduous. The ferries not only carry students to school but also carry dreams of a bright future.

Báo Tin TứcBáo Tin Tức22/10/2025

Photo caption
Students go to school by boat in My Phuoc commune ( Can Tho city).

The will to find "letters"

At 4am, when everyone was still asleep, many families in Phuoc An A hamlet (My Phuoc commune) started a new day by preparing meals for their children to go to school. Mrs. Nguyen Thi The (Phuoc An A hamlet) said that when her 3 grandchildren were of school age, she was responsible for taking them to school by boat. Every day, her boat crossed nearly 6km of river to take her grandchildren to school.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi The shared: “At 3am, I woke up to cook rice, prepare things, and bring hammocks for the children to take a nap at school. By the time school was over and I got home, it was late afternoon. The children’s parents had to go to work in Ho Chi Minh City, leaving me to take care of them and take them to school every day. Not knowing how to ride a motorbike, the boat was the only means of transportation.”

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My Phuoc A Primary School has 60 students going to school by boat.

Similarly, for more than 4 years now, Ms. Dang Thi My Tien (My Phuoc commune) has been waking up early every day to prepare meals for her daughter, then the two of them go to school together by boat. What makes people admire is that for more than a year, Ms. Tien has had to face a serious illness, but not a single day has she let the illness stop her daughter from going to school. Ms. Tien said that every day, the family has to spend about 30,000 VND on gasoline - a considerable expense for a rural area. However, her greatest joy is that her daughter (a 4th grade student) has been an excellent student for many years in a row. This is also a spiritual medicine that gives her more strength and confidence to fight the serious illness.

Photo caption
Composite umbrellas of parents waiting to pick up their children from school in My Phuoc commune (Can Tho city).

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Phuong's family has no land to produce, living by working as hired laborers. Every day, she has to travel 8km by river to take her grandchild to school. Mrs. Phuong said that her grandchild is in 2nd grade this year. Her father abandoned her when she was young, and her mother has kidney failure and has to undergo dialysis 3 times a week. The family's life is very difficult. They want their grandchild to be literate so that their life will be more stable in the future, so their grandparents try to work hard to save money to support their grandchild's education.

To keep dreams from "rocking" in the middle of the river

Mr. Nguyen Van Hao, Principal of My Phuoc A Primary School, said that the entire school has about 60 students who have to go to school every day by boat or canoe. Of these, about 20 students from far-flung canals and streams are forced to stay at noon.

Photo caption
Lunch for students going to school by boat.

In the 2025-2026 school year, the school has many students in particularly difficult circumstances. Most of their parents work far away, leaving their children to be cared for by elderly grandparents. Therefore, the school and local authorities always try to care for and encourage the students, and mobilize benefactors to support books and learning materials for poor students. However, due to limited resources, they cannot fully meet the actual needs of the students.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hao added that although the journey to school is difficult, the students still try to study. As a result, the rate of students attending class is always maintained regularly. In the coming time, the school will continue to call on benefactors inside and outside the city to support funding and materials to support students in difficult circumstances so that going to school is no longer a hardship on the path to knowledge.

Photo caption
Lunch for students going to school by boat

Mr. Tran Viet Phu, Secretary of the Party Committee of My Phuoc Commune, said that with the local characteristics of a river area, many people not only live along the roads but also scattered in concave areas without roads, the main means of transportation is still boats. Along with that, many rural roads have degraded, greatly affecting the travel and trade of the people. This situation becomes even more difficult when most people of working age go to work far away, and the task of taking children to school depends on the elderly at home.

Photo caption
The joy of children in the river region when going to school.

Mr. Tran Viet Phu added that the local government will focus on paying attention and creating favorable conditions for children in difficult circumstances who have to go to school by boat. "We will actively mobilize social resources to support and help children have more conditions to go to school. At the same time, the commune continues to recommend that superiors pay attention to investing and upgrading rural traffic routes, gradually improving infrastructure for people to travel conveniently; contributing to economic development and ensuring the future for the younger generation," Mr. Tran Viet Phu emphasized.

Photo caption
Parents take their children to school by boat.

In order for the students here to continue going to school, every sharing, no matter how small, will be a source of encouragement to help them firmly step on the path of seeking knowledge for a brighter future.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/hanh-trinh-gian-nan-di-tim-con-chu-cua-tre-em-vung-song-nuoc-mien-tay-20251022100000556.htm


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