Starting from the 2024-2025 school year, on the first Monday of each month, after the solemn flag-raising ceremony, small envelopes containing the heartfelt generosity of the teachers will be given to three underprivileged students selected by the school for assistance. Each month, 300,000 VND – a sum that may seem insignificant to many – represents encouragement, a satisfying breakfast, and new notebooks filled with hope for these children.
The idea for this unique model originated from a simple yet thought-provoking question posed by Mr. Ho Quoc Can, the school principal: "Previously, the Youth Union of the Dam Doi District Police Department adopted a student from our school, so surely we, the teachers who are close to the students every day, can adopt someone else?"
Driven by these concerns, and after reaching a consensus with the teaching staff, the school decided to establish a fund to support students in particularly difficult circumstances. Each teacher voluntarily donated approximately 30,000 VND from their breakfast allowance each month to contribute to the common fund. “We didn't solicit external support or make any big appeals; it all came from the teachers' hearts. The school will support the students for four years, starting from the time of consideration for assistance until they finish 9th grade. The criteria for consideration are that the students don't need to have good or excellent academic performance, but simply need to be in genuinely difficult circumstances. The school's Board of Directors, along with the homeroom teachers and the Head of the Youth Union, will visit the students' homes to understand their circumstances, then hold a council meeting to determine how to support them. This school year, we selected two students, one in 6th grade and one in 7th grade. However, in the second semester, there was a case of an 8th-grade student whose father suddenly passed away, leaving the family in extremely difficult circumstances, so the school unanimously decided to support this student as well,” Mr. Can explained.
Small and somewhat thinner than her peers, Kim Khánh Vy (a 6th-grade student at Quách Phẩm Bắc Secondary School) possesses clear, bright eyes that sparkle with hope as she recounts the silent love and care her teachers have shown her. Vy's family is struggling financially, their livelihood depending on her father's precarious job transporting shrimp for hire. Her mother, having to care for two younger siblings, also lacks a stable job. Yet, amidst these hardships, Vy has not given up on her education, partly because of her yearning to learn, and partly because of the support from her teachers and the school. "Three hundred thousand dong a month helps me buy breakfast and notebooks, pens, etc. I'm so happy because it gives me extra motivation to go to school every day," Vy smiled.
Throughout her journey to school, Kim Khánh Vy (on the left) has always had the support of her teachers.
Kim Huynh Thu, an 8th-grade student, is another case supported by the school. Thu's family has three siblings, but only she continues her studies; her older and younger brothers dropped out early to help their parents with household chores. Thu's parents work as hired woodcutters and charcoal burners at home. On days when she's not in school, Thu often helps her mother tend the fire and watch the furnace. Her small hands have become accustomed to the ash and smoke, leaving her fingertips dark and calloused. Despite these hardships, she maintains a simple but determined dream: to continue her education and one day become a teacher, so she can teach and share with other children in similar circumstances.
Recently, Thu's family was fortunate to receive support from the local government to build a new house under the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses. A new roof, though small, is a solid source of emotional support for the whole family, as they no longer have to worry about rain and wind. Thu shared: "This support has helped my family reduce some of the financial burden of my education. I am grateful to the teachers who have helped me have the opportunity to go to school like other friends. I promise to study hard to live up to the expectations of my teachers and the school that have helped me."
With both moral and material support from her teachers, Kim Huynh Thu (on the left) has transformed difficulties into motivation to overcome her circumstances and strive for continuous academic excellence.
During the 2004-2005 school year, Quach Pham Bac Junior High School had a total of 430 students, of whom 24 were from impoverished families, 18 from near-impoverished families, and 2 were disabled. Each situation presented a challenge and a source of concern for the school's teaching staff, who had to do everything possible to keep these students in school and prevent their education from being interrupted.
Teacher Ho Quoc Can shared: “Previously, the school used to organize fundraising during flag-raising ceremonies to collect money for ferry services, then directly paid the ferry operators to transport students to school. Every year, the school organizes donations of bicycles for students living far away to provide them with the best means of transportation to school. In addition to the 300,000 VND the school provides, students also receive an extra 150,000 VND for study expenses as regulated by the State, totaling 450,000 VND per month. This amount will help the students and their families alleviate some of the hardships and difficulties. I hope this model will be maintained to help students change their lives, because only education can help them develop further in their future.”
Huu Nghia
Source: https://baocamau.vn/lang-tham-nuoi-uoc-mo-cho-hoc-tro-ngheo-a39191.html
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