Mr. Hung and the students during a reading session at the free reading space – Photo: CHI CONG
This meaningful reading space belongs to Mr. Huynh Thanh Hung – owner of Doctor Farm in Long Thanh commune (Giong Rieng district, Kien Giang province).
From the center of Rach Gia City, we drove along National Highway 61 for almost an hour before reaching Long Thanh commune. The local people live off farming, so they still face difficulties.
Understanding the hardships and deprivations of the local people and wanting to create a reading and recreational space for the students, Mr. Hung spent billions of dong to transform his family's approximately 6-hectare plot of land into a Doctor Farm with various areas, such as an old house, a rice paddy, a vineyard, a fish pond, a melaleuca forest, etc. And, importantly, he didn't forget to dedicate a portion of the area to a free reading space for the students.
"Seeing many children obsessed with playing games, I came up with the idea of creating this reading space to help students in my hometown have more beneficial activities such as reading, drawing, and experiencing life," Mr. Hung said happily.
And now, the reading space has become a meeting place for students every Saturday and Sunday.
“Reading books will broaden the children's thinking, teach them how to think, how to be good people, how to interact with others, and cultivate more knowledge. Just thinking about that makes me happy. My plans are to build more swimming pools, hire swimming instructors, and connect with schools so the children can learn to swim and prevent drowning…,” Mr. Hung said.
For students visiting this reading space, it's also a place to socialize and make friends in addition to reading books.
“I come here on Saturdays and Sundays to play, read books, and socialize with my friends. I learn a lot of useful knowledge, make new friends, and become more confident in communicating,” said Chuong Le Nguyen Khoi, a 5th-grade student from Long Thanh Primary and Secondary School.
“I often ask my parents to let me come here on weekends. If I don't understand something in class, I can ask the teacher and my classmates for extra help here,” said Tran Thi Thuy Trang, a student from Long Thanh Primary and Secondary School, sitting next to Khoi.
Besides reading books, the children can also ask questions about their studies because there are volunteers like Ms. Phan Thi Pho who act as both a manager and an "amateur" teacher to guide them.
"The children feel very comfortable here. They read books, draw pictures, play together, tell each other stories about school and class, and socialize," Ms. Pho shared.
Being a doctor, Mr. Hung only has time to bring his family here on Saturdays and Sundays. Each time he and his wife come, they bring a familiar "gift": meals for the children. Today's meal included shrimp, squid, fish cakes, and beef meatballs, which the children really enjoyed.
"I treat the students here like my own children. After reading, they'll have lunch, and then they'll have enough energy to freely explore, play, and have fun…," Mr. Hung said.
Experience and learn about Vietnamese culture through a reading space.
Adjacent to the learning space is an old house that Mr. Hung had built in the architectural style and culture of the people of Southern Vietnam. In this old house, he has collected many items such as a weighing scale, an iron, a set of tables and chairs, a sewing machine… The old house is where he preserves the beautiful cultural aspects of the people of Southern Vietnam, hoping that “When students visit and experience it, they will gain a perspective and knowledge that connects the past and the present.”
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