Compassion 'lights up' the Phia Co school.

For nearly 15 years, teacher Truong Thi Nga has persevered in a place with "four no's": no electricity, no phone signal, no internet, and even no clean water. Then, thanks to her tireless efforts, she brought solar power to the Phia Co school, saving electricity and "lighting up" the school.

Báo Thanh niên•29/05/2025

In October 2024, when Typhoon No. 3 (Yagi) swept through, leaving behind much loss and suffering for the northern provinces, I was fortunate to accompany a delegation from the Cao Bang Provincial Labor Union and philanthropists to Bao Lac and Bao Lam to distribute gifts to poor households and especially to the Phia Co 2 branch of Nam Cao Primary School, Phia Co hamlet, Nam Cao commune (Bao Lam district).

- Ảnh 1. — The solar panels were brought in and installed at Phia Co 2 school.

Getting from the Nam Cao Commune People's Committee headquarters to Phia Co hamlet is very difficult due to the treacherous road, with many sections consisting entirely of rocks and dirt, steep slopes, and in some places the road surface cracked due to the impact of typhoon number 3. Therefore, we could only travel by motorbike and on foot. The population is also very sparse, with 194 households and over 1,200 inhabitants, making it the most disadvantaged hamlet among the 10 hamlets of the commune.

Food, supplies, and essential items donated by organizations and philanthropists have been distributed to the people of Phia Co. However, to improve their lives and escape poverty, I think they still desperately need a concrete road from the Nam Cao Commune People's Committee to their hamlet. A road would bring access to the national power grid, telephone service, internet, and clean water – things that remain just dreams for the H'Mong, Tay, Nung, and San Chi ethnic groups here.

By April 2025, good news arrived for the people: solar power had reached the Phia Cò school, providing electricity to the area.

- Ảnh 2. — The solar panels were brought in and installed at Phia Co 2 school.

Teacher Truong Thi Nga shared: "After two months of fundraising, Phia Co 2 school received a TV, refrigerator, water filter, computer, printer, Wi-Fi router, ceiling fan, lights, bookshelf, school supplies, and most importantly, a large-capacity solar energy system thanks to the help of the Energy Love group, the Hai Phong City Mobile Police force, and generous donors."

The Tay ethnic teacher, born in 1986, added that the solar energy system is providing electricity to the entire school, including running refrigerators, computers, printers, televisions, and fans. Significantly, this has led to continuous changes in the village. Students and villagers can watch television to stay informed about the news and weather, while teachers have electricity to prepare lesson plans, no longer having to wait until weekends to go down the mountain to charge their computers and phones as before. Furthermore, teachers have refrigerators to store food for the whole week in the village. Everyone is very happy and more relaxed after school because they can find cool fans in their rooms, relieving the fatigue of the hot and humid summer days.

As darkness fell, we left the Phia Co 2 school to return to the Nam Cao Commune People's Committee, all in a joyful mood, sharing the happiness with teacher Nga. Everyone hoped that one day, these poor villages would have roads and access to the national power grid. But for now, thanks to the help of organizations and philanthropists, the future of the people in this remote mountainous region of the country is being "illuminated" by a truly meaningful and energy-saving solar power system.

130 million VND in cash prizes and attractive gifts are waiting for their owner.

Following the success of the previous two seasons, the 3rd " Saving Electricity as a Habit - Safety - Saving and Sharing Experiences" competition expands its message this year: Using electricity economically and safely to prevent accidents and fires.

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- Ảnh 3.