A meaningful journey at age 18.

Young woman Nguyen Minh Anna chose to make a meaningful start to her 18th year by donating all her savings to build a school for children in the remotest part of the country.

Nguyen Minh Anna poses for a photo with students at a school. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Building schools for children in mountainous areas.

Returning home to Tan Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, after completing a short-term study program in Australia, Nguyen Minh Anna, a girl born in 2007 of Vietnamese-American descent, embarked on a truly special journey across Vietnam. Not a tourist trip, Anna visited Mau Due commune, Tuyen Quang province (formerly Yen Minh district, Ha Giang province) to inaugurate the Phieng Tra school, which she herself sponsored.

Nguyen Minh Anna shared that the intention to help children in mountainous areas had been present for quite some time, but she hadn't found a suitable project to directly participate in. While researching information from social media and newspapers, Anna learned about the volunteer group "Building Dreams - Helping Children Go to School." Immediately afterward, she proactively connected with architect Trinh Van Thang, the founder of the program, and decided to use all of her savings, 362 million VND, to build a school for children in mountainous regions.

Recalling the time when Anna shared her desire to contribute to the program, Mr. Trinh Van Thang is still surprised. He said: “Nguyen Minh Anna has earned my admiration and that of all the program members. Not just because of the relatively large amount of money she donated for a student, but because it was everything she had saved over many years, from family New Year's lucky money, academic awards, prizes from sports competitions, and even personal investments she made since she was 16 years old.”

For Nguyen Minh Anna, this is a special milestone in her 18th birthday journey. And for the 45 students at Phieng Tra school, this is a meaningful gift, as next school year they will be able to study in a new school building with two spacious classrooms, clean restrooms, and a more beautiful and modern school grounds.

"For us, the companions and participants of the 'Building Dreams - Helping Children Go to School' group, the most beautiful thing is not just a new classroom, but also the belief that compassion is still being carried on by very young people," expressed Trinh Van Thang.

Hearts turned towards community and homeland.

Contributing to school construction is not the first charitable activity that Nguyen Minh Anna has participated in. It is known that social activities, focusing on the community and her hometown, have always been part of her family's educational philosophy.

Since the age of 8, Anna and her parents have built approximately 40 charitable houses for impoverished families, including houses for people in her maternal hometown (Yen The district, formerly Bac Giang province). They also donated ambulances and ventilators to hospitals during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2021 and supported orphanages. Notably, all these activities were carried out using the family's own funds, without soliciting donations from the community.

During her recent trip to Ha Giang, Nguyen Minh Anna was accompanied by her mother, Nguyen Thi Hau, a volunteer from the "Building Dreams - Helping Children Go to School" group, and other members of the delegation to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for two other schools in the area: Phin Chai B school and Sung Hoa school. The trip wasn't long, but it left the young woman with many unforgettable emotions about the journey of teachers and students in the highlands overcoming mountain passes and streams to get to school, and also helped her better understand the joy of her parents as she grew up and learned to share with the community.

After her journey in the highlands, Nguyen Minh Anna will head to the United States to continue her university studies. Like many other young people, the 18-year-old girl also has plans for her studies, career development, and aspirations to build her own future. However, Anna's desire is not just personal success. The young woman says her biggest goal is to study well, have a stable job with a steady income, and continue to maintain and expand her activities focused on her homeland and community.

According to Nhandan.vn

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/hanh-trinh-y-nghia-o-tuoi-18-a487319.html