Nguyen Quang Thach initiated the "Books for Rural Vietnam" program and has persevered for the past 28 years through various concrete activities, including millions of steps walking across Vietnam and hundreds of kilometers in India to appeal to people's conscience and contribute to bringing books to children. His activities have attracted the attention of several international organizations, receiving awards (in 2016, UNESCO awarded him the Knowledge Dissemination Award, and the Library of Congress Award in 2017...). However, in reality, a large number of rural children still live in "white zones" – without access to books. The two books Nguyen Quang Thach recently published continue his dedication to books, highlighting exemplary mothers and fathers who care for their children's reading from an early age, giving them wings to fly into the future and contribute significantly to society and the country.
Fifteen fathers are featured in three parts of the book "Footsteps Calling on a Father's Conscience ," including: Fathers Who Paved the Way; Fathers Who Encouraged Reading ; and Fathers of the Community , all from diverse backgrounds, but serving as shining examples that every family can emulate. In the essay "The Firelighter " by Luong Thi Hien, a teacher at Albert Einstein School in Ha Tinh, who comes from a poor rural area where "there wasn't enough food to eat, not enough clothes to wear…", the author recalls, "The greatest fear of the people in my village at that time was hunger… some parents often scolded their children: 'Why study so much? Will you be able to use your knowledge to make a living?'" But fortunately, her parents always prioritized their children's education: "Every night, we studied, while my father sat weaving and shaping rattan, actually to keep watch so that we wouldn't fall asleep…". Thanks to that, the five sisters have achieved success in various fields: university, college, management, and teaching… The author continues: "And it doesn't stop with our generation. The 'family tradition' that my parents painstakingly cultivated, with unwavering faith in the power of knowledge, has become an invaluable legacy passed down from generation to generation… We strive to educate and provide the best possible conditions for our children and grandchildren to learn…".
Book cover: Footsteps that awaken a father's conscience
Photo: Provided by the interviewee
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vuong, author and translator of approximately 100 books, shared his understanding and methods over the years in his article "Reading with Your Children: A Small Thing with Great Meaning": "In the process of raising children, there's a small but significant thing that many people forget: reading with your children, or more specifically, reading aloud to them. As a father, I have been reading to my children for the past 10 years. Thanks to the efforts of the whole family, all three children love reading. They won't go to bed until their father reads them a few books. Not only do we read at home, but whenever we go on picnics, travel, or visit museums or historical sites, I encourage them to bring books to read. Our bookshelves are growing thicker and thicker, and even though we live in a small apartment, we now have a small library with thousands of books…" It's also worth knowing that Mr. Vuong was able to achieve this thanks to his father, a book lover. Since 1980, their home has had a small library – books "printed on black paper, with rough, hard covers… neatly arranged on wooden planks that my father made himself, placed on wooden beams nailed to the wall… Back then, my family was very poor; when my sisters and I were in university, we could be considered among the poorest in the village. Despite that, once a month, my father would still ride his bicycle to the people's bookstore in Bac Giang town to buy books for his children…". As teacher Luong Thi Hien wrote, it is thanks to that wonderful "family tradition" that Nguyen Quoc Vuong was born – the author of 100 books and more, "that foundation will help my children study well at school and have a wealth of knowledge to carry with them throughout their lives."
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vuong has devoted considerable effort and, one could say, passion to sharing his memories and experiences in promoting reading, advising on the establishment of reading clubs and community libraries. This is partly due to his opportunity to visit Japan and his understanding that "for the Japanese people and the Japanese government, reading culture is a major strategy, given attention from a very early stage and with a long tradition…". He has translated relevant laws such as the Law on Promoting Reading Culture, the Law on Encouraging Children's Reading Activities, and the Law on School Libraries … for reference by domestic agencies.
By quoting just a portion of two stories from the 15 articles about fathers who have "ignited" and "sown seeds of faith" in their children through "encouraging reading" and daily actions that exemplify character development—"not only bringing good things to their children and relatives but also silently building the foundation for the development of society, the future of the nation, and the future of humanity…" (Nguyen Quang Thach's heartfelt words at the beginning of the book), we can see how useful the book "Footsteps Calling the Conscience of Fathers" is to Vietnamese families. The work also effectively supports the millions of "footsteps" of Nguyen Quang Thach who have persistently pursued the mission of bringing books to rural areas for nearly three decades.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mong-co-nhieu-nguoi-cha-nhu-the-185260327210037012.htm
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