Visiting a charity class, listening to the sound of students reading aloud during the summer.
A place where heartfelt emotions are recorded.
Every summer, my footsteps lead me back to the small classroom nestled in the corner of Nguyen Du Street. More than three decades ago, no one called it a classroom, and no one believed this place would become a haven for so many humble people. Nguyen Du Street back then was just a poor, noisy working-class neighborhood, filled with the anxieties of making a living. A place where makeshift houses crowded together, arguments, children's cries, and the sounds of adults drinking alcohol were familiar, mingling in every narrow alleyway.
“Most of the children's families are poor laborers, working tirelessly year-round to earn every penny. Due to various circumstances, most of the children do not have birth certificates and cannot attend school like their peers. Busy and struggling, their parents have given up, no longer having the energy to care for their children's well-being, morals, and education. Some families even neglect their children, leaving them to their fate, accepting that they will grow up amidst the temptations and dark corners of life. The children don't go to school, they wander around, selling lottery tickets, collecting scrap metal, and are even drawn into mischief and social vices,” Mr. Nguyen Huu Thoi (the “founder” of the charity class) shared with us many times about that past.
Nurturing love
After many sleepless nights, Mr. Thoi decided to seek the opinion of the leaders of My Binh ward (formerly), hoping to open a charity class right in Nguyen Du neighborhood. With the support of the local government, the Nguyen Du neighborhood charity class officially opened in October 1992, and is now located in Long Xuyen ward. At that time, the classroom consisted only of old desks and chairs, and a blackboard stained with chalk marks, placed in the neighborhood office, but the children's eyes shone with new hope.
Gradually, the children's voices reciting lessons and their clear laughter echoed through the impoverished working-class neighborhood, dispelling all the heaviness and gloom. Before I knew it, that charity school had entered its 33rd year and had been rebuilt into a much more spacious and comfortable building. I still make it a habit to visit every summer, to see the children grow up; some have become factory workers, others have pursued trade, but no matter what they do, they are still "nurtured" by the love of the teachers in this poor neighborhood.
“The classroom is not only a place to impart basic knowledge, but also a place to nurture love and cultivate resilience for countless generations of students from impoverished working-class neighborhoods. Many children, once neglected by their families and society, have avoided the dark spiral of social vices thanks to this class. Our goal is not only to teach basic literacy and arithmetic from grades 1 to 5, but also to educate them in character and morality. Fortunately, we have received much attention and support from the local government and philanthropists throughout this journey. This is the motivation that helps 'unpaid' teachers like us stay committed to the class for so long,” confided Ms. Phan Thu Thuy (born in 1964, residing in My Thoi ward), who has been involved with the charity class for over 10 years.
Belief in the future
Over the years, the appearance of Nguyen Du neighborhood has changed. The once impoverished working-class area now has paved roads, and many families are better off. However, there are still those whose lives are incomplete, those children who need a school and a guiding hand. The charity class continues to exist, becoming a bridge connecting these children closer to knowledge and their seemingly unattainable dreams.
As a retired primary school teacher, at nearly 70 years old, Ms. Tran Kim Phuong (residing in Long Xuyen ward) still dedicates her time to teaching literacy at a charity school. “I knew about and started teaching here in 2018. The more I teach, the more I feel compassion for the children's circumstances and their efforts to overcome their fate. Each child has a different situation, a different story, and just hearing it makes one feel heartbroken. In each of my lessons, I always incorporate life skills and ethics to help the children develop their thinking. Here, the youngest child is 9 years old, the oldest is 16, but they still treat each other like family. That's something we are very proud of!” – Ms. Phuong shared with heartfelt emotion.
Every time I return to this place, I hear the faint echoes of the old teacher telling stories, the students reciting lessons, and the murmuring of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division echoing in the sweltering summer sun. 33 years – not a very long time, but enough to write a beautiful story about compassion and the aspiration to change destinies through simple words.
| “Thanks to the support in obtaining my birth certificate, I will be attending Le Van Nhung Primary School (Long Xuyen ward) when I start school. This is a great joy for me. I promise to study hard at my new school so as not to disappoint the love and guidance of the teachers at the charity class!” - said Le Thi Lan Anh (9 years old) excitedly. |
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/he-ve-lop-hoc-tinh-thuong-van-sang-den-hy-vong-a424227.html
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